Somerset man allegedly pretended to be Constable, stole farm animal

SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Meyersdale man is facing charges after allegedly impersonating a State Constable in an attempt to steal a farm animal.

George Porter, 60, is facing a charge of impersonating a public servant after police were called to a residence on April 6 on Greenville Road on reports that a ram had been stolen. The ram had been found to be living in a garage on PennDOT’s property in the area two to three weeks earlier and that the staff had been feeding and taking care of it.

One of the workers had taken the ram back to his residence after his supervisor requested for it to be taken care of. On April 6, Porter allegedly called the man and told him that he knew who the owner of the farm animal was and that he was going to come pick it up.

Porter allegedly became hostile over the phone when the man requested $250 for the ram because he had been caring for the animal for weeks, and said that he was a State Constable and was allowed to come get the animal without paying, according to the complaint.

Later that day, Porter went to the residence and allegedly stole the ram. When confronted, Porter got out of his vehicle and claimed that he had the right to take the ram and pointed to his chest, where a badge was located, and repeatedly yelled “right here,” according to the complaint.

When interviewed by the police, Porter’s passenger claimed that the ram was his to begin with, but it had been missing from his farm since March 5. When he noticed that the animal was for sale he attempted to contact the seller, but when he didn’t receive an answer he asked for Porter’s help.

Porter allegedly told the owner of the ram that he was the Constable for the township and that he had the authority to retrieve the animal and would take care of it, according to the complaint.

Police then interviewed Porter, who claimed that he was elected as the Constable for Greenville Township two years earlier, however, he started having medical issues, that stopped him from completing the certifications.

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After the interview, police reviewed the Constable records for Somerset County, which listed three certified ones, none being Porter.

Porter is now facing a misdemeanor charge of impersonating a public servant, a misdemeanor charge of theft and other related charges.

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