Durham — Police this week charged a 43-yearold man with impersonating a law officer.

Police have accused the man, Timothy Scott Lintrap, with cooking up a financial scam by contacting Durham businesses and claiming to be a police officer or deputy.

Police say Lintrap would tell the employees at the respective businesses that the manager or owner of the establishment was in custody and needed help with bail money to get out of jail, reported Lt. Patrice Andrews with the Durham police.

Police say Lintrap would convince the employees that it was okay to help their boss by taking money from the cash register to come up with the bail amount, Andrews reported.

Police charged Lintrap with two felony counts each of impersonating a law enforcement officer and obtaining property by false pretenses, Andrews reported.

Lintrap is in custody at the Durham County jail under a $600,000 bail.

Additional charges are pending, Andrews reported.

Investigators think Lintrap may be linked to other crimes in Gaston, Graham and Knoxville, Tenn., police reported.

Police think the scam started in Tampa, Fla. about a month ago and then stretched through “numerous other states,” Andrews stated in a Friday afternoon press release.

Police are asking anyone with information about the scam to the Durham Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit at (919) 560-4440.