NORTH KINGSVILLE, Ohio — An Ohio man who reportedly tried to pass himself off as a police officer during a bogus traffic stop early Sunday night couldn’t have picked a worse vehicle to pull over.

Behind the wheel was an off-duty police officer from Youngstown, authorities said.

Howard Maldonado, 42, faces a charge of impersonating a police officer, a first degree misdemeanor, Ashtabula County Prosecutor Nicholas Iarocci said in an email message. A first degree misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

North Kingsville police were contacted at 6:15 p.m. Sunday by the Youngstown officer, who reported his vehicle was stopped on Lake Road (Route 531) near Sunset Park, village Police Chief Hugh Flanigan said Monday. The officer said he was pulled over by a black Chevy Tahoe displaying red and blue emergency-style lights.

An unarmed man wearing civilian clothes got out of the vehicle, Flanigan said. After the police officer “repeatedly” told the man he was a real lawman, he returned to his vehicle and drove away, the chief said.

North Kingsville police, provided information by their Youngstown counterpart, found the suspect minutes later on Route 193, Flanigan said.

Police do not know why the man pulled over the vehicle, Flanigan said.

“I don’t understand why he had red and blue lights (on his vehicle),” he said.

Todd writes for the Ashtabula (Ohio) Star Beacon.