ANKENY, Iowa — A Des Moines man is behind bars for allegedly pretending to be a law enforcement officer on multiple occasions while searching for fugitives in the metro.

According to court documents, from December to January 30-year-old Dustin Joseph McGee, a licensed bounty hunter in Iowa, presented himself as a law enforcement officer while searching for a fugitive who had failed to appear for court for a driving while barred charge and the boyfriend of the fugitive.

On January 1, McGee arrived at a Johnston residence to search for the fugitive and the boyfriend. When the homeowner opened the front door, McGee claimed that he and his team had to search the homeowner’s residence and that they had a warrant, court documents state. A video from a body camera worn by McGee captured him walking past the homeowner and into the home.

The homeowner told officers with the Ankeny Police Department that at the time he believed McGee was a law enforcement officer due to his uniform and didn’t discover that McGee wasn’t an officer until later when one of McGee’s team members informed him they were bounty hunters.

On January 3, McGee went to a residence in Des Moines to search for the fugitive and the boyfriend. According to court documents, McGee was seen parking his vehicle, an unmarked 2013 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor, in the driveway with what appeared to be flashing green and white lights turned on. McGee banged on the door several times and then left.

About a half hour after McGee left a white SUV with two occupants was captured on video parked partially in the road and partially in the driveway of the Des Moines residence, with McGee’s vehicle parked behind it. Court documents state the incident appeared to be consistent to when a real officer would conduct a traffic stop. According to a criminal complaint, the two occupants were placed in handcuffs while McGee questioned them about the fugitive’s and the boyfriend’s whereabouts. While the occupants were handcuffed, McGee and his team searched the residence. The two occupants denied knowing them and they weren’t found in the house.

According to a criminal complaint, McGee searched an Ankeny residence a total of seven times in search of the fugitive and her boyfriend, and called and texted the homeowners during all hours of the day and night. The two were not discovered during any of these searches.

During one of the searches of the Ankeny home McGee allegedly pounded on the homeowner’s door to the point where it caused damage. The homeowners also accused McGee of making threats towards them while he was searching their home, a search warrant states. The homeowners told police that it got to the point where they feared McGee and worried that he would harm them.

In Iowa, it’s illegal for bounty hunters to enter any home that is not the fugitive’s and it’s illegal for bounty hunters to present themselves as law enforcement officers.

A search warrant states McGee told managers at a storage facility where the fugitive rented a space from that he was a federal agent in order to get the law enforcement access code to the gate.

On Tuesday, McGee was arrested and charged with two counts of impersonating a public official, one count of fourth-degree criminal mischief, and possession of a controlled substance – first offense. McGee is also facing two child endangerment charges after officers conducting a search warrant at his home found Psilocybin mushrooms and two loaded Glock handguns within reach of McGee’s two children, aged ten and six.

McGee is being held in the Polk County Jail on a $10,000 cash/surety bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 6.

The fugitive that McGee was searching for was located and booked into the PCJ.

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