Man charged with impersonating police officer

He may be a Cassanova but he's no police officer.

Nassau Police's Highway Patrol arrested a Staten Island man Friday night for allegedly impersonating an Amtrak police officer during a traffic stop in Old Westbury.

The suspect, Conrad Cassanova, 43, of Circle Loop Drive, is actually an Amtrak mechanic, police said.

The Highway Patrol officer pulled Cassanova's 2002 BMW over at 10:30 p.m. on the westbound Long Island Expressway near Glen Cove Road after he swerved out of his lane and crossed over pavement markings.

Cassanova told the officer he was a cop and turned over a badge and Amtrak identification, neither of which brandished his law enforcement credentials, police said. The officer eventually called Amtrak and determined that Cassanova is a civilian employee. Nonetheless, the suspect continued to insist he was an Amtrak police officer, police said.

Cassanova is charged with criminal impersonation and failure to use a designated lane of traffic. He will be arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Saturday.