Man Charged with Posing as Officer in $20,000 Scam

A Tampa man was arrested on charges of impersonating an officer, fraud and grant theft after he tried to sell a local tree-cutting service some "seized" equipment, according to a news release by police spokeswoman Janelle McGregor.

The owner of Barton's Tree Service contacted police on Tuesday after he received a call from Michael A. Bellamy, who claimed to be a Tampa Police detective, McGregor said.

The tree service owner told investigators that Bellamy had claimed he worked for a "special police squad" that had seized a large amount of tree-cutting equipment during a recent operation.

"The suspect offered to sell the victim the equipment for $20,000, which was well below market value," McGregor said. "The phony detective explained that before the exchange could take place he needed [the victim] to rent a limousine for the Chief of Police so that she could take underprivileged children on an outing."

Actual police detectives worked with the tree service owner, and Bellamy accepted a cash payment in lieu of the limo ride he requested, McGregor said.

Bellamy, 21, lives at 7908 Allamanda Ave., according to jail records.

He arranged to meet the victim at the Orient Road Jail on Wednesday, but instead he was arrested by an undercover detective, McGregor said.

"Detectives interviewed the suspect, who admitted committing the crime and to other similar schemes in the past," she said.

Bellamy remains in jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Anyone who may have been victimized by this suspect is asked to call the Tampa Police Department at 813-231-6130.