Third Squad detectives, with the assistance of Garden City, Rockville Centre and New York police, the Nassau County Police Department Narcotics Bureau and the Nassau County District Attorney's Office, are investigating a criminal impersonation that occurred Friday, Feb. 23 at 5:27 p.m. in Garden City.

According to Detective/Sergeant James Watson, Garden City Police Officer Jacobsen, while on routine patrol, observed what appeared to be a traffic stop being conducted by another jurisdiction because the vehicle being used was a black Chevrolet Trail Blazer; Garden City police do not use this type of vehicle.

As Officer Jacobsen approached, he heard the individual conducting the car stop and asked the subject who he was. The officer said the defendant responded, "state department." Officer Jacobsen requested the subject's identification and soon learned the subject recently resigned as a police officer from the New York Police Department two days prior and was unlawfully conducting a VTL investigation in Garden City.

Assisting Garden City police officers arrived on scene and arrested the subject, Mathew Edelman-Winstead, 25. Officers recovered an identification case containing a metal NYPD badge and a photocopy of the defendant's prior NYPD identification card.

According to police, when Edelman-Winstead was being debriefed about weapons he might own or any other police type items in his apartment, he stated he did have some rifles in his apartment located on Lincoln Avenue in Rockville Centre. After securing a search warrant detectives recovered evidence of the defendant purchasing prescription medication online.

Further, upon arrival at the apartment, police state that a large amount of assorted prescription drugs, several assault-type weapons, rifles, a stun gun, a shotgun, computers that contained drug transaction records and numerous medical prescription pads were found.

Edelman-Winstead was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the second degree, criminal impersonation of a police officer, three counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument and several VTL infractions. He was slated for arraignment in First District Court in Hempstead late last month. Detectives ask any other victims to please come forward and call the Third Squad at 573-6352.