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Man pleads not guilty to impersonating firefighter

A Huntington Beach man has pleaded not guilty to charges of impersonating a firefighter at major disaster sites including Hurricane Katrina and 9/11.

James Charles Campbell, 46, was arraigned Wednesday at Orange County Superior Court on the misdemeanor charge of impersonating a firefighter, as well as two felony counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces up to three years, eight months in prison if convicted, District Attorney spokeswoman Farrah Emami said.

Prosecutors said Campbell pretended to be a paramedic captain for the Los Angeles Fire Department, claiming to fly helicopters. Campbell wore a uniform with department patches, as well as carrying a wallet badge and firefighter identification wherever he went, according to prosecutors. Campbell would use those false credentials to get into disaster areas and film himself, prosecutors said.

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Efforts to reach Campbell’s attorney, Scott Well, were unsuccessful. But Well said when Campbell was arrested that his client was a humanitarian who tried to save people, not deceive them.

Campbell was arrested Sept. 7 after authorities searched his house and found a handgun and shotgun there. He has prior felony convictions from Arizona including credit card fraud, prosecutors said.

Campbell’s company, Frontline Safety Products, sells fire safety gear and offers CPR training.

A pre-trial conference is scheduled for May 5, while a preliminary hearing is set for May 19.


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