RUSSELLVILLE — A Jackson County man was indicted after authorities said he pretended to be a law enforcement officer to get information about an ex-girlfriend.

Court officials said Wednesday that Lonnie Dewayne Prince, 49, of Scottsboro, was indicted on a charge of impersonating a peace officer.

The indictment was issued during the Franklin County grand jury session in January.

Prince is accused of claiming to be an FBI agent and calling his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend and family six times during a three-day period last summer demanding to know information about the woman.

Investigators said Prince and his ex-girlfriend had apparently argued, and she left Scottsboro, moved to Franklin County and started seeing someone from the Phil Campbell area.

“It’s one thing to play cops and robbers as a child, but an adult just (doesn’t) go around claiming to be a law enforcement officer,” Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver said. “You don’t start calling people up, interrogating people claiming to be a FBI agent. That’s not real smart.”

Oliver said what made it worse was that one of the phone calls was answered by a state fire marshal.

“And apparently he threatened the state fire marshal, who was a relative of the family (Prince had been calling), if he didn’t give him the information he needed,” Oliver said.

Investigators said the calls were reported to the Sheriff’s Department.

Prince was taken into custody by Scottsboro police and transferred to Franklin County, where he was questioned and charged.

The case was turned over to the district attorney’s office to be presented to the grand jury.

“I don’t know why people do things like this,” Oliver said. “I guess, in their minds, they will never get caught.”

Impersonating a peace officer is a Class C felony punishable by 1-10 years in prison if convicted.

Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said Prince’s case could be set for arraignment later this month and then be placed on the March court docket.

Tom Smith can be reached at 256-740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.

‘It’s one thing to play cops and robbers as a child, but an adult just (doesn’t) go around claiming to be a law enforcement officer.’

Shannon Oliver

Franklin County sheriff