Deputy Impersonator Pleads Guilty to 2 Felonies

A man who impersonated a sheriff’s deputy before this year’s Rose Parade in Pasadena has pleaded guilty to a pair of felonies stemming from the New Year’s Eve incident, court officials said Thursday.

Leymoine Jacques Bolton, 26, pleaded guilty to being an ex-convict in possession of a gun and felony joy riding. He faces a maximum of four years in prison. Bolton had also faced felony charges of grand theft auto and possession of a billy club, and misdemeanor charges of impersonation of a peace officer and possession of a loaded firearm. Those counts were dropped as part of the plea agreement, a district attorney’s official said.

Bolton was arrested the night before the parade when he reported to a sheriff’s command post, authorities said. After providing an inactive identification number, Bolton was taken into custody.

The badge had been assigned to former Deputy August Hoffman. Hoffman had reported his badge stolen shortly before he resigned in 1987, prosecutors said. He still faces trial on charges of embezzlement and filing a false police report.