A group driving a replica presidential limousine through the Hamptons had most of the ingredients for the part: a Donald Trump impersonator, a caravan of dark vehicles and even someone dressed to resemble a Secret Service agent.
The trouble started when the performance spilled into traffic.
Southampton Village police said the imitation motorcade traveled through intersections with red and blue emergency lights flashing and caused other drivers to move out of its way. The excursion ended with a traffic stop, several summonses and the faux presidential limousine getting impounded, according to CBS New York.
The U.S. Secret Service was notified about the episode, while the group behind the motorcade maintained that it was an entertainment outing with no bad intentions.
Presidential Treatment
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The vehicle belonged to the Setauket Patriots, a Long Island group that has previously organized Trump-themed caravans and appearances with presidential impersonators.
Founder James Robitsek told CBS New York the group had been driving around the Hamptons with a Trump impersonator and a caravan of cars for a day of fun.
Southampton Village Detective Sgt. Herman Lamison said the replica limousine was going through intersections with its emergency-style lights activated and causing other traffic to move aside.
Police identified the driver as Barry Armato, 62, of Lindenhurst. He received summonses involving switched plates, failure to display registration, lack of a front plate and unauthorized red and blue lights, News 12 reported.
Robitsek, 58, was also there. Police said he was wearing a black shirt with “Police Secret Service” in gold lettering despite having no known affiliation with the agency.
Props Included
The inventory inside the Cadillac made the presidential imitation considerably more elaborate.
Police said they found six fake Washington, D.C., license plates, a fake New York license plate and a fake shotgun. The Cadillac was one of two presidential-limousine replicas owned by the group.
Robitsek described the weapon as a prop. The group’s attorney, John Scott Prudenti, told CBS New York that the organization operates in the entertainment business and attributed the plate problem to an oversight by the vehicle’s operator.
This was not the group’s first attempt at imitation-presidential transportation. In 2024, Patch reported on a Long Island caravan involving a Trump impersonator and vehicles designed to resemble a presidential motorcade.
This time, police said the replica motorcade was using emergency-style lights while traveling on public roads.
How Fake Is Too Fake?
The spectacle prompted an obvious question: Is dressing like a Secret Service agent itself illegal?
Federal law is narrower than simply wearing a costume. 18 U.S.C. § 912 addresses falsely pretending to be a federal officer or employee and acting as such, or using the pretended authority to demand or obtain something of value.
A neighboring provision, Section 913, addresses someone impersonating a federal officer while arresting, detaining or searching another person.
Those statutes do not establish that anyone involved in the Hamptons motorcade committed a federal offense. Southampton Village police said the Secret Service was notified about the incident.
The local violations already cited were tied to the Cadillac itself, including its lights, plates and registration.
The Setauket Patriots are seeking the return of the replica limousine. CBS New York reported that the related court summonses are scheduled for Sept. 15.