By Daily Press staff
A “security consultant” was arrested Thursday on a federal charge which accuses him of impersonating a federal agent in an attempt to persuade Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to hire him to provide security services.
Nelson Mercado, 46, of Torrance, was arrested without incident Thursday morning by special agents with the United States Secret Service. Mercado was arrested pursuant to an indictment that was returned Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana and accuses him of impersonating a federal agent for financial gain.
Sunset Protective Services and Investigations (SPSI) is a private security company that provides armed bodyguard services to individuals and corporate clients, including Pitt and Jolie. Mercado allegedly told SPSI that he was a special agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and that he provided bodyguard and security services for famous athletes and entertainers while off-duty. Mercado allegedly specifically sought the security contract and hourly payments to provide security services for Pitt and Jolie.
The one-count indictment alleges that Mercado falsely assumed and pretended to be a special agent with the DPS from as early as August 2005 through at least May 18, 2006. The indictment further alleges that Mercado carried and used fraudulent credentials claiming that he was a special agent with DHS. The indictment further alleges that Mercado drove a Ford Crown Victoria with tinted windows and a police light package, which was fraudulently registered to the “U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security of America.”
Mercado is expected to make his initial appearance Friday afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
If convicted, Mercado faces a statutory maximum penalty of three years in federal prison.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 15, 2006. Read the original PDF.