The producer of the controversial anti-Islam documentary featuring Ray Kelly and shown to NYPD recruits was once arrested for impersonating a federal officer, court records show.
Erik Werth, a co-producer of "The Third Jihad: Radical Islam's Vision for America" -- which has Muslim groups calling for Kelly's resignation -- was nabbed in May 1995 after an incident at the Columbia, SC, airport. He claimed to be a Secret Service agent and threatened to have an airline employee arrested, prosecutors said.
Worth had caused a scene after demanding the employee waive a service charge for changing a plane ticket.
Werth was released on $10,000 bond, records show.
The case has been sealed, but records show the case was dismissed in June 1997. Prosecutors on the case couldn't immediately be reached for comment today.
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Kelly was not aware of Werth's arrest when he sat for an interview for the movie.
Kelly became embroiled in a scandal this week after it was revealed that "The Third Jihad" -- which features a narrator saying Muslims want to "infiltrate and dominate America" -- was shown to about 1,500 NYPD recruits. The flick was shown on a continuous loops during training, until an officer complained about it.
The police commissioner initially denied he was interviewed for the documentary, but on Tuesday admitted he had been.
Mayor Bloomberg has called Kelly's participation "terrible judgment;" Kelly has said he regrets doing the "objectionable'' film.
No comments:
Post a Comment