JACKSBORO,TN. (WLAF)- Pretending to be someone he wasn’t didn’t turn out well for Michael Charles Russell.

Last week, Russell was indicted by a Campbell County Grand Jury for burglary, possession of firearm by convicted felon and criminal impersonation of a law enforcement officer.

His indictment follows a January arrest by the Caryville Police Department when Russell was found in the garage of an Evans Road home just after midnight. The homeowner discovered Russell in his garage going through his vehicle, according to the report. When confronted by the homeowner, Russell said he was a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Agent who was “working a case looking for stolen license plates and investigating VIN numbers.”

Russell went as far as to provide a badge number to the Caryville Police when they arrived. However, a call to central dispatch soon disproved Russell’s story. After he was arrested, police found the homeowner’s garage door opener in Russell’s jacket pocket, the report said.

In Russell’s car, police located a black semi-automatic pistol under the driver’s seat, the report said.

A check of Russell’s background revealed he was a convicted felon, according to the arrest report.

Russell, 34, 5265 Stiner Highway, La Follette, will be arraigned in criminal court on May 30. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 5/25/2023- 6AM)

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