3 charged with impersonating police

Three men have been charged with impersonating police officers after they drove in a blue Ford Crown Victoria to a man's house, flashed handguns and badges and threatened to shoot him, according to the Upper Darby police.

A fourth suspect, whom police said had been in an ongoing dispute with the victim, did not impersonate a law enforcement officer, but did threaten the man, police said.

The men drove to the victim's Seaford Road home June 8 after Michael Cripps, 32, of Upper Darby, called the victim and said he was bringing over three Upper Darby police officers to "hurt him," Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.

The driver, Daniel Kubach, 45, of Lansdowne and Cripps's older brother, John Cripps, 36, of Upper Darby, are licensed bail enforcement officers in Delaware, Chitwood said. They wore badges on their belts and pulled up their shirts to show the victim they were armed with 9mm semiautomatic handguns, he said.

Michael Cripps, who is facing burglary and theft charges in Philadelphia, rode in the back seat with 18-year-old Joseph Vogelgesang of Upper Darby, who wore a bulletproof vest and had a Taser, Chitwood said.

The victim was in some kind of dispute with Michael Cripps.

Kubach told the victim not to mess with Michael Cripps anymore, Chitwood said. The victim then realized they probably weren't real police officers and ran inside to call 911.

The four men were arrested and charged with simple assault and terroristic threats. Kubach, Vogelgesang and John Cripps also face misdemeanor charges of impersonating police officers.

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