Man Sentenced for Impersonating Officer

On May 25, 2019, Burke County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Brown Mountain Beach Road regarding an individual who approached children at a campsite at 1814 Brown Mountain Beach Rd. claiming to be an FBI Agent. Once deputies arrived, they spoke to a US Forest Service officer about the incident and learned the following facts. A father of the children at a campsite saw a subject speaking to his children and heard the subject tell them he was an FBI Agent. When the father confronted the male, the subject left the campsite in a vehicle. The US Forest Officer relayed the description of the vehicle and tag number to the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle was located in Caldwell County and stopped. It was occupied by Blaine Francis Pennington II of Lenoir. Pennington was arrested by Caldwell County and transported back to Burke County where he was taken into custody. On Monday, November 18, 2019, Pennington plead guilty in NC District Court, Burke County and was sentenced to 30 days in jail with two days credit for time served. Agencies Involved: Burke County Sheriff’s Office Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office U.S. Forest Service