By Associated Press - Thursday, July 13, 2017

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) - A man who impersonated a California firefighter got a job as the real thing despite his criminal background.

The Sacramento Bee reports Thursday (https://bit.ly/2udQPmY ) that Brandon Visyak made $32,000 last year as a seasonal firefighter.

The 29-year-old Indio man is the son of a state fire captain.

The Bee says in 2012, Visyak pleaded guilty to impersonation for using a stolen state firefighter badge to gain the trust of women from whom he later stole.

Two years later, he falsely claimed to be a firefighter in a failed effort to avoid a traffic arrest. Last month, he pleaded no contest to impersonation in that case.

Cal Fire’s hiring practices have been criticized and Visyak hasn’t been rehired for seasonal work since the agency upgraded its background check procedures last year.

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Information from: The Sacramento Bee, https://www.sacbee.com

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