Fake cop sent to real prison

A Plymouth man caught using a fake uniform, handcuffs and a siren to shake down homeless people in Roxbury and immigrants in Chelsea will get to see what real criminals think of his shtik after pleading guilty and being sentenced to eight years in prison, the Suffolk County DA's office reports.

Eric Mathison, 31, pleaded guilty to 18 separate criminal charges including four counts of robbery and four counts of impersonating an officer.

After real Boston cops arrested Mathison for dressing up like a cop and shaking down two homeless men in Roxbury in May, 2006, he moved up to Chelsea, where he managed to earn money by threatening immigrants, according to the DA's office:

On June 24, 2007, a Chelsea woman was driving home on Washington Avenue when she noticed a dark-colored sport-utility vehicle following her. A few moments later, the SUV activated a siren and lights located in the front grill. The victim pulled over and Mathison approached her vehicle wearing a badge around his neck, handcuffs at his waistband, and a microphone clipped to his jacket. When the woman asked if he was a state trooper, Mathison stated he was a Chelsea Police officer; when she asked his name he asked whether she wanted a citation. She stated she did want a citation – with his name on it – and Mathison soon left in his vehicle at a high rate of speed.

Five days later, Mathison approached four men in a van on Chestnut Street in Chelsea. Identifying himself as a Chelsea Police officer, Mathison ordered them out of the van and into the hallway of a nearby building. He handcuffed one of them, took about $700 from the group, and told them not to leave the building. ...

Oh, but wait, there's more.