A 25-year-old guy in Syracuse told a woman at church he was in the CIA, and that terrorists were after him, so she'd think he was cool and go out with him.
He was arrested on Monday.
Ryan Houghtalen, 25, was charged by state police with misdemeanor criminal impersonation for pretending to be a public servant. He was arrested Monday and spent a day in jail before being released.
Court papers describe how Hougtalen made the woman fear that her life was in danger:
Earlier this month, Houghtalen told the victim that he was a CIA agent and “she was the target of a terrorist organization and that her life was in danger,” the complaint states. “...the defendant induced fear in her by telling her that if she did not follow his directions, she would be seriously injured or killed.”
So what did Houghtalen tell her to do?
“...she was to stop talking to people, stay at home, and not call the police,” the complaint said.
State police said Monday that Houghtalen told the victim that he, too, was being hunted by ISIS.
“He was telling her his job as a CIA agent is very dangerous,” said Trooper Jack Keller, a state police spokesman. “He was hoping to use that information to start a relationship with her.”
Here's the scene in "True Lies", where Bill Paxton and Arnold Schwarzenegger... well, you know.