IRVINE : Man Held in Series of Obscene Calls

An Irvine man was arrested Thursday for impersonating a sheriff’s deputy and making a series of obscene telephone calls to women in various Orange County areas, authorities said.

Sheriff’s Lt. William Francis said deputies seized several security agent badges, police-type clothing, a police baton and a Taser gun when they arrested David T. Avery, 22, at his home in unincorporated Lake Forest. Deputies also found 15 stolen credit cards at the residence, Francis said.

Avery was booked on suspicion of making lewd phone calls, impersonating a peace officer and possession of stolen property, Francis said. The suspect had been under investigation since January when authorities received about 30 reports of obscene phone calls from women throughout the county, Francis said. The suspect is being held in Orange County Jail on $10,000 bail.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s home after one of the victims recorded one of the obscene calls.

“What (the caller) would do is place his call to a female victim, and would identify himself as Deputy Sheriff Wilson,” Francis said.

The suspect would tell his victims that he had planted illegal drugs on their property, and warned them he would have them arrested for possession of narcotics unless they did as he ordered, Francis said.

“If he got the victims to believe his story, he would then inquire as to what they were wearing, then directed them to perform sexual acts,” Francis said.