Colorado Springs pastor arrested on felony charges

A Colorado Springs pastor was placed under arrest and is currently behind bars after being charged with robbery and impersonating a U.S. marshal. The pastor of Set Free Ministry was allegedly posing as a homosexual male named “Mike” looking for casual sex on Craigslist. According to reports, “Mike” arranged a meeting with another man at a Colorado hotel, but when the man arrived, “Mike” said he was a U.S. marshal and handcuffed him. “Mike” then reportedly took the man into a room and held him there with a paintball gun. At that point, “Mike” began searching through the other man’s belongings and took his phone, iPad, laptop, debit card and cash and car keys, alleging the items were being held as evidence.

The man held at the hotel reported to police that “Mike” said he would come to the man’s house the next day to impound his car and discuss the case. According to police, “Mike” had told the hotel he was an officer prior to the incident and shown the staff a badge.

The pastor was arrested on Dec. 20, 2013, after he was stopped for a traffic violation in Arizona and showed some type of badge to the officer. The officer found out that the pastor was wanted for kidnapping, aggravated robbery and impersonating a peace officer in Colorado, and the man was sent back to the state this month and is awaiting his court appearance.

Friends of the pastor say that he started acting oddly after telling them there was a new baby in the family and that he had cancer. Those who worked with him at the church also expressed surprise at the allegations against the man. While appearances cannot always be believed, outside factors in a person’s life can sometimes contribute to erratic or out of character behavior. Understanding the motives behind an action can help guide a successful criminal defense.

Source: CBS Denver, “Springs Pastor Arrested For Kidnapping, Robbery & Impersonating Police” Brian Maass, Jan. 27, 2014