Alleged Impostor Irks Congressman

Passing bad checks, writing fake doctor’s notes to judges and walking away from jail take nerve enough, but a 22-year-old smooth talker is accused of doing all that and impersonating a senior member of Congress.

Boyish-looking Jason McDermott bears no resemblance to silver-haired, 59-year-old Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.). But police say he has claimed to be the congressman in phone calls to set up scams in which he posed as his son.

Congressional aides first suspected an impostor a year ago when an erroneous bill arrived for a limousine rental at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Then someone claiming to be Rep. McDermott phoned an Indiana judge asking for delay in the dissolution of a marriage between his “son,” Jason McDermott, and “daughter-in-law, Caroline.” The congressman’s office called the Capitol Hill police.

Someone claiming to be Rep. McDermott later contacted the Indianapolis Zoo about getting a job for his “daughter,” Caroline. The congressman has no daughter named Caroline--that’s the name of fugitive McDermott’s ex-wife.

Before long, the congressman’s office was dunned again--this time for $4,000 that someone had bid at a charity auction in Chicago for a trip to Hawaii.

“It is my understanding that the FBI as well as local law enforcement authorities are investigating the person who is impersonating me and my son,” Rep. McDermott said in a statement. “I’m confident that they will conduct a thorough investigation and bring this person to justice.”

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It might not be easy.

Young McDermott has been the target of a manhunt in Illinois and Indiana since Nov. 7, when, as a trusty in the Porter County, Ind., Jail, he talked his way outside the wall to take out the trash.

The young man had been arrested in Centreville, Ind., on charges of bilking a store out of $8,000 worth of antiques. Awaiting trial, he was not released on bail because he had previously presented judges with phony doctor’s notes saying that he was too sick to be in jail--and then never showed up for court dates, police said.

“He’s a professional,” said Det. Dave Lightheart of the Porter County Sheriff’s Police.

The congressman has not been directly harmed, but others say they’ve lost money.

On Nov. 24 in Indianapolis, police say young McDermott bought a white 1994 Buick Park Avenue Ultra with a bad check after flashing a phony driver’s license.

In August, a Marion, Ill., auto dealer was called by someone claiming to be Rep. McDermott. The caller said his son was coming in with car trouble, and could he please pay for the repairs with a check drawn on a congressional account?

After they chatted about the politics and geography of Seattle, the dealer accepted a $4,400 check that paid for a new engine and labor.

Typed in the upper left-hand corner were the words: “U.S. Rep. James McDermott, U.S. House of Representatives, 1440 North Lakeshore Drive, Chicago, Ill.”

How could anyone get away with passing a check like that?

“He’s a smooth son of a gun, very likable, very polished,” said Cmdr. Ray Bradford of the suburban Elmhurst police.

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Bradford has known young McDermott--who grew up in Elmhurst--for years.

He recalls how an officer in nearby Oak Brook stopped McDermott for a traffic violation two years ago, and the teenager pulled out a badge that said he was an Elmhurst alderman.

“The officer didn’t believe him,” Bradford said.

The investigation that followed led to charges of theft and forgery involving phony credit-card charges. McDermott’s lawyer struck a plea bargain for him, but McDermott never showed up for court, Bradford said.

“What I know is that he’s an extremely bright young man,” said the attorney, Robert Duffy. “But I don’t know anything about what he did in Indiana or escaping.”