Associated Press and staff report
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A teenager who toured a high school while posing as a state senator has pleaded guilty to impersonating a peace officer. Prosecutors say they’ll recommend probation for Marion resident Izaha Akins. The 18-year-old pleaded guilty Monday to the felony charge.
Akins posed as a newly appointed state senator on Dec. 15 at Mohawk High School. Akins told school officials he had been appointed to replace State Senator David Burke, whom he claimed had resigned for health reasons. Burke represents District 26 which includes Crawford, Marion, Morrow, Wyandot, Sandusky, Seneca and Union counties.
Akins’ fraud went undiscovered for nearly a month until Burke showed up at the school as scheduled on Jan. 14.
The subsequent investigation indicated Akins not only got into the school after telling officials he was appointed to replace Burke as the state senator for District 26, but was given a tour of the building by an administrator, spoke to a government class, and received a courtesy car and driver from a nearby car dealership to take him to the school.