I've heard of mall ninjas but this may be the first case of a supermarket ninja that I've heard. Sounds like this guy had some real issues.....
'Wannabe' cop is headed to prison
From the Marylannd Gazette
By Eric Hartley Staff Writer
Former security guard had felony conviction, but still carried a gun
At first, Tom Middleton figured the Crown Victoria zipping past him on Route 32 was a fellow county police officer who drove a similar car. But when he sped up to catch the white Ford, he saw the driver wasn't who he expected.
The car suddenly slowed, pulled behind Detective Middleton's unmarked Jeep and turned on its police lights. But when Detective Middleton started to pull over, the driver turned off its lights and drove away.
That seemed suspicious, so Detective Middleton turned his own lights on and pulled over the car. The driver, Karl G. Salenieks, was friendly, explaining he worked for Fallsway Security and was on his way home. He mentioned he knew some county officers.
Detective Middleton could have issued traffic citations, but didn't have enough to arrest Salenieks that night, so he let him go. Still, the empty gun holster at Salenieks' side and his curious actions on the highway - a security guard trying to pull someone over, then turning his lights off and speeding away - set off alarm bells in his mind, and he decided to investigate.
After discovering Salenieks was barred from carrying firearms because of two 1989 robbery convictions, Detective Middleton arrested him March 5 at the Weis grocery store in Odenton. He was working as a security guard there and carrying a gun.
Police also got a search warrant for the white Ford and Salenieks' Crofton town house. What they found resembled the contents of a police supply room - handguns, an assault shotgun, bulletproof body armor, handcuffs, leg irons, a
Taser, badges and more.
"In his mind, he was police," Detective Middleton said. "He was in a
dream world."
Salenieks, 34, pleaded guilty Thursday in county Circuit Court to being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun and to first-degree assault for pointing his gun at a man in November. Under the plea deal, he will get at least six years in prison, but the prosecutor can ask for up to 10. He'll be sentenced Sept. 12.
State law requires the five years for the handgun charge to be served with no chance of parole.
Salenieks was initially charged with impersonating a police officer, but prosecutors didn't pursue that charge because it carries less time.
Salenieks worked for a retired Anne Arundel County officer, Kevin Falls, doing security at retail stores. He's also been a bail bondsman for years - and has continued to act as one since his arrest, listing a Glen Burnie office, court records show.
The white Ford, in which he tried to pull over the real officers, was registered to Fallsway Security. The company has since been fined by the state for hiring Salenieks and five other unlicensed guards.
What led Salenieks to act like a police officer will likely be explored at his sentencing, but it was clear to Detective Middleton from the first encounter Feb. 19, that he had an affinity for law enforcement.
"When we pulled him over, the first thing out of his mouth was, 'I know who you are. You guys are TPU.' That's not a typical thing a citizen knows," Detective Middleton said.
"TPU" refers to tactical patrol units, detectives who conduct targeted enforcement instead of responding to 911 calls.
And when Salenieks was arrested, he had all the paraphernalia of a policeman: handcuffs, a baton, pepper spray and a .40-caliber Sig Sauer semiautomatic handgun - the same kind actual county police carry.
"Your typical wannabe police," said Detective Middleton, a 13-year veteran.
After Salenieks' arrest was reported in the media, a man reported to police that Salenieks had pointed a gun at him in November outside a Glen Burnie Weis store. Salenieks also pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony assault charge in that case.
Assistant State's Attorney Virginia Miles said Jerome Pearmon was talking to his girlfriend when Salenieks marched outside, walked straight over to the couple and pointed a gun in Mr. Pearmon's face.
The shocked couple said they were going to call police, but Salenieks called police himself, and two officers came out and spoke to Salenieks.
"The officers, already having talked to the defendant and very clearly, according to Mr. Pearmon, being friends with the defendant, had no interest in his side of the story," Ms. Miles said.
She said the officers told Mr. Pearmon that Salenieks probably had a good reason for pulling a gun on him.
Ms. Miles said Salenieks told Mr. Pearmon, "What are you talking about? What gun? I never pulled a gun on you."
He later claimed he was protecting his co-worker from Mr. Pearmon, but Ms. Miles said there was no evidence the couple had actually been arguing.
After his arrest, Salenieks claimed he was allowed to carry guns, saying at different points his record had been expunged and he'd been pardoned by the governor. Neither is true; court records show Howard County judges have denied all his expungement requests.
Salenieks' lawyer, Peter S. O'Neill, said Salenieks' robbery convictions in Howard County came when he was 17.
"He's been a law-abiding citizen" since then, Mr. O'Neill said, adding that a number of friends and relatives will speak on Salenieks' behalf at the sentencing.
