An Alabama man who flashed a fake federal badge in an attempt to get out of a speeding ticket in Newnan will be sent to federal prison.
Jay Diamond, aka Larry Allen Dilleshaw, 49, of Phenix City, was found guilty in May on two counts of impersonating a federal officer, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Kurt Erskine said in a news release. He was sentenced to 17 months in federal prison followed by a year of supervised release and 50 hours of community service.
Diamond, who has a criminal history that includes more than 30 misdemeanor and traffic convictions, was pulled over by a Troup County deputy in August 2018, Erskine said. He was recorded going 90 mph in a 70-mph zone on I-85 in the Newnan area. During the stop, he flashed a badge at the deputy that said “Senior Federal Air Marshal.”
Diamond’s story began to unravel when the deputy requested additional credentials, Erskine said. Diamond told the deputy he left his other credentials at home, then said he’d been given the badge by President Jimmy Carter. He also tried to show the deputy a photo of himself with Carter on his phone.
“Diamond’s story changed once he was arrested for falsely impersonating a law enforcement officer,” Erskine said in the release.
Ultimately, Diamond admitted that he should not have called himself an Air Marshal and “should have just taken the ticket,” according to Erskine.
“Flashing a badge and impersonating a federal officer to gain a benefit puts the public and law enforcement officers at risk,” Erskine said. “Instead of avoiding a speeding ticket, Diamond ended up with two federal felony convictions and time in prison.”
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