Saw this article re a man arrested for impersonating a Federal Agent.
Name of Nelson Mercado. The name was familiar - he used to guard many
baseball stars about a decade ago.

Article:

"A man who applied for a job with a company that provides security for
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie was arrested Thursday for allegedly
impersonating a Homeland Security agent.

Nelson Mercado, 46, told Sunset Protective Services and Investigations
he was a special agent with Homeland Security who worked on his own
time for famous athletes and entertainers, the U.S. Attorney's Office
said. He specifically requested work with Pitt and Jolie, authorities
said.

Mercado, who didn't get the job, also drove a Ford Crown Victoria with
a police light that was fraudulently registered to a "U.S. Department
of Homeland Security of America," according to authorities.

He was charged in a one-count indictment with pretending to be a
Homeland Security agent from August 2005 until at least May 18.

Mercado was jailed without bail pending an appearance in U.S. District
Court in Santa Ana yesterday.

If convicted, Mercado faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal
prison."

Nelson Mercado is a childhood friend of retired Mets Pitcher John
Franco. He was a legit bodyguard; among his clients were athletes Ron
Darling, Carlos Baerga, Jose Canseco, David Cone, and Roberto Alomar.
One athlete he chose not to protect was John Rocker. He's had other
clients in the music biz.

He was profiled in several articles in the mid-nineties. I recall that,
in one article, he describes how client David Cone was enjoying himself
with friends at a nightclub, when two people were having an argument
(unrelated to Cone & Co.) and one of them drew a pistol, aimed in the
general direction of Cone. Mercado took the pistol away from that
person, and removed him from the club. He was also hired by Roberto
Alomar, when he had stalker problems in Toronto.

Have not read anything on him in several years. Can't believe he would
be so stupid as to impersonate a Federal Agent, when he already had
credentials as a bodyguard.


Here's an article re his association with Baerga.

http://www.cleveland.com/entertainm...0350.xml&coll=2