Serial, accused cop impersonator charged with sex crime, kidnapping, Raleigh police say
A Raleigh man accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer was charged this week with sexual battery and other crimes.
The Raleigh Police Department received a report Thursday night that a man, identified as 33-year-old Meredith Cromartie, had allegedly impersonated an officer and conducted a traffic stop.
Cromartie is accused of continuing to contact the victim and was reportedly seen driving near the victim’s home, according to a news release.
Investigators then learned about a Wednesday, March 18, incident at a fast-food restaurant on Capital Boulevard, during which Cromartie allegedly forced the victim into unwanted sexual contact.
On Monday, Cromartie turned himself in to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, according to the release.
In addition to impersonating a law enforcement officer, he is charged with extortion; sexual battery, which is unwanted sexual contact; and second-degree kidnapping.
Previously charged with stealing dog
In 2018, Cromartie was accused of impersonating a police officer to steal a teenager’s dog, according to ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner.
The victim, who didn’t want to be identified, said a man in a uniform had come to her North Raleigh townhouse and said he had papers authorizing him to take her dog.
“I didn’t want to argue if it really was a police, so I just handed my dog over,” she told ABC11. “It was awful. I thought I wasn’t going to get him back. I was just crying.”
Investigators charged Cromartie in that case with impersonating a law enforcement officer and larceny of a dog.
It marked the fourth time since 2015 that Raleigh police had charged him with impersonating a law enforcement officer, ABC11 reported.
Cromartie made his first court appearance on the new charges Tuesday and was released on a $500 secured bond. His release order notes he has a history of misdemeanors and a 2022 felony conviction for second-degree kidnapping in a domestic violence case. Second-degree kidnapping is when someone is held against their will without serious physical injury or sexual assault.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Raleigh Police Department at 919-996-3335. You can also submit a tip anonymously through Raleigh CrimeStoppers by visiting www.raleighcrimestoppers.org and selecting “Leave a Tip.”
This story was originally published March 24, 2026 at 2:58 PM.