A man convicted of impersonating a police officer to scam a senior citizen has been sentenced to prison in Chippewa County.
According to Prosecutor Robert Stratton, Kevin Wade Farnquist was sentenced Tuesday in 50th Circuit Court by Judge James Lambros.
Farnquist was found guilty on December 10, 2025, of impersonating a police officer to commit a crime. He was also sentenced as a fourth habitual offender under Michigan law.
Under state sentencing guidelines, he received a prison term of 30 months to 15 years. He will not be eligible for parole until serving at least 30 months. Prosecutors said the sentence will run consecutively to two other convictions because Farnquist was on parole at the time of the offense.
Authorities said the crime occurred in November 2024 while Farnquist was on parole from the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Prosecutors say Farnquist sent text messages to a senior citizen falsely claiming to be Under-Sheriff Ryan Hering with the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office. He allegedly demanded the woman’s credit card information and threatened to arrest her son and impound his vehicle over supposed equipment violations if she refused.
The woman complied but contacted the sheriff’s office two days later. Investigators later determined Farnquist had sent the messages and attempted to delete them from his phone.
Stratton emphasized that impersonating law enforcement is a serious felony offense and warned residents that legitimate police agencies will never request credit card information.
Officials urge anyone receiving suspicious messages claiming to be from law enforcement to contact their local police agency and avoid sharing financial details.
