Man impersonates deputy, found with sword and cocaine

IOWA CITY - A South English man found with a sword and cocaine in his truck is accused of pretending to be a sheriff's deputy.

According to Johnson County Sheriff's Office criminal complaints, deputies responded to a report of a reckless driver traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on Interstate 380 around 9:30 a.m. Monday. The vehicle, a black Ford truck, had red and blood emergency lights activated, callers reported.

The Johnson County Joint Emergency Communication Center had taken a similar report earlier in the month, the complaints state.

A deputy caught up to the driver, identified as 50-year-old Kenneth A. Odom, at highways 218 and 1 south of Iowa City. When the deputy spoke with Odom, they found he was wearing a dark green sheriff's hat, necklace badge and a sheriff's shirt. Emergency lights and a camera were mounted to his windshield and a black police hat was taped to his dashboard, authorities said.

Odom also had a 'pistol handled” black sword cane wedged between the center consol and front seat of his truck, as well as a medical bottle with three small baggies of crack cocaine.

Odom was arrested and faces charges of impersonating a public official, carrying weapons, possession of a controlled substance and reckless driving.