FORT MYERS, Fla.–Investigators and police here are searching for a man who dressed as a U.S. Marshal and went into three businesses, including a bank and a credit union here.
Witnesses at a branch of Suncoast Credit Union told NBC2 the suspect was armed and dressed as a U.S. Marshal, wearing a bulletproof vest, a badge and a gun. He is described as white or Hispanic with a mustache.
Deputies said the man was also spotted at a Western Union store and a branch of Bank of America.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, the suspect went into the businesses and asked questions about how many employees there were and how much cash they kept on hand.
"He was dressed like a marshal," witness Victor Mercado told NBC2. "He had the badge, the glasses. He had the whole look, man."
The Marshals Service told NBC2 late Tuesday that anyone can buy the gear online and then fool anyone for confidential information. They also said an agent would never walk into a business to ask such questions and if someone does, ask for credentials or call police, according to NBC2. Orange River Elementary School - located near the Suncoast Credit Union - was briefly placed on a lockdown. Witnesses said the suspect walked onto the school's property and then went behind the school.