Western Man Charged with Criminal Impersonation

A Western man charged with multiple counts of driving under a suspended license is now facing a felony charge after allegedly giving law enforcement a false name.Joshua V. Poley, age 29, appeared in Jefferson County Court on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Linda Bauer was the presiding judge.Poley was arraigned on a charge of criminal impersonation, a class 4 felony punishable by up to two years in prison, nine to 12 months of post-release supervision and a $10,000 fine. He is also charged with driving under a suspended license, a class 3 misdemeanor, and false reporting, a class 1 misdemeanor.Deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff's office conducted a traffic stop on March 16, at approximately 5:20 p.m., near the intersection of 6th and J Streets in Fairbury. The vehicle was a red Cadillac Deville. According to the arrest affidavit, the driver could not provide a license, registration or insurance information. The affidavit also indicates the defendant provided what was later determined to be a false name and date of birth.The driver was placed in the back seat of a patrol vehicle while paperwork was completed. He was then released after being given a warning violation.Afterwards, at the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office, the deputy reviewed the traffic stop camera video. While reviewing the backseat camera video, the deputy said that the suspect called an unknown individual, stating, “I'm probably getting false reporting and possession. I gave them my little brother's name; I gave them my little brother's name.”According to the deputy, “I then realized that he was, in fact, Joshua Poley, who had two active warrants out of Jefferson County, Nebraska.”Both warrants were for prior charges of driving under a suspended license, for which Poley failed to appear for court in 2023.Poley had previously waived his right to an attorney and represented himself in those prior cases. For the latest case, he requested court-appointed counsel and Public Defender Scott Gropp was assigned to represent him. Another hearing is scheduled for April 24.Poley remains free on a $5,000 (10 percent) bond at this time.

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