BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A retired Buffalo police detective and former trustee for the Village of East Aurora is facing felony charges after prosecutors say he pretended to be a police officer in order to obtain a vehicle involved in an active shooting and drug investigation.
Kevin Biggs, 51 of East Aurora, is charged with one count of criminal trespass, one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument, and one count of criminal impersonation - all felonies. He is also charged with one count of possession of burglar tools - a misdemeanor.
A co-defendant - Alexis Rivera, 25 of Buffalo - is also facing charges of forgery, criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal use of drug paraphernalia.
According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office, Buffalo police found 13 ounces of cocaine inside Rivera's car after he was shot on Wyoming Avenue in Buffalo on September 7. On September 25, prosecutors say Biggs went to the police impound lot on Dart Street wearing police attire. He said he was a police officer and was there to obtain Rivera's vehicle. He then provided forged police documents in attempt to acquire the vehicle, the D.A.'s office said.
Investigators say Biggs entered the Buffalo police garage without permission three separate times - September 14, 25 and 28. He had bold cutters on one of those dates, prosecutors said.
After leaving the lot on September 28, investigators say Rivera went to the police garage with the same falsified police paperwork that Biggs had and tried to retrieve his impounded vehicle.
Biggs was released without having to post bail "due to the charges being non-qualifying offenses for bail," the district attorney's office said in a release announcing the charges. Rivera was released after posting $75,000 bail.
Biggs is scheduled to return to court for a felony hearing on December 3.
