Arrest In Pitt-Jolie Security Scheme

SEPTEMBER 14--A California man was arrested today for impersonating a federal agent in a bizarre bid to land a job as a bodyguard for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Nelson Mercado, 46, was busted this morning in connection with a federal indictment charging him with a felony impersonation count. A copy of the indictment, filed in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, can be found below. According to prosecutors, Mercado claimed to be a Department of Homeland Security agent when he contacted a private security firm, Sunset Protective Services and Investigations, that provides bodyguards for corporate clients and high-profile individuals like Pitt and Jolie. Mercado, who specifically sought a contract to protect the two movie stars, claimed to Sunset that he had protected famous athletes and entertainers while off-duty from his federal post. The indictment alleges that Mercado carried fake DHS credentials and drove a Ford Crown Victoria with tinted windows and police lights. The vehicle, the indictment notes, was 'fraudulently registered to the 'US Dept of Homeland Security of America.'' Mercado, a Torrance resident, was arrested by Secret Service agents and faces a maximum of three years in prison if convicted of the charge. (3 pages)