MEDLEY, Fla. — A woman in South Florida was arrested after she was caught driving a car made to look like a Florida Highway Patrol vehicle, an arrest report explains.
Authorities say 28-year-old Iulia Pugachev gave troopers a strange explanation for why her car had the same color scheme as the FHP.
According to troopers, Pugachev's car had not only the same white and black-wrapped paint job as their vehicles but also blue lights and a siren. It even had a tan logo painted on the side, though the logo on her car read ‘FSO Guard,’ the name of the security company Pugachev claimed she and her husband planned to use it for.
According to FHP, painting a vehicle with the same color scheme as FHP cars is a first-degree misdemeanor.
According to the arrest report, Pugachev initially told deputies she bought the vehicle at a car auction in that condition, but deputies say FHP cars are always repainted before they're auctioned. Further investigation found a mechanic in Hollywood had repaired the car and outfitted it with blue lights and a light bar.
Pugachev later claimed she had the black wrap with the tan logo added to the car afterward "because she had previously seen FHP’s marked patrol units and fell in love with the color scheme.”
According to officials, the car was last registered in Louisiana, but it had no current license plate registered in any state. The license plate on Pugachev's car was provided by Dmitry Pugachev, the owner of a dealership, whom troopers also questioned.
The 28-year-old was charged with fraud, driving an unregistered car, impersonating an FHP unit and misusing a dealer license plate. The car was impounded, and troopers are actively investigating to make sure it wasn't used to commit further crimes.
