A civilian who was caught squatting in the Special Forces barracks in Fort Bragg has been outed as a con artist. Triston Marquell Chase, who was masquerading as an EOD technician for 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group ended up getting caught do to a drink driving charge. Chase had spent months living in the barracks and posing as a barracks NCO.
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Chase’s ruse was discovered when he approached a group of Military Police who were conducting a traffic stop on another individual. Chase approached the MPs and introduced himself as a NCO. The MPs that he approached noticed that Chase was visibly intoxicated. They detained Chase and searched his vehicle. Multiple fake IDs were found. None of the IDs were associated with the name registered to the vehicle Chase was driving.
Chase was arrested. MPs state that he was combative throughout the entire process. Further investigation revealed that Chase has six felony charges from 2014 , including identity theft, larceny of a firearm and other crimes.
After his arrest military officials were able to determine how he was able to live in the barracks and regularly borrow supplies and equipment, including the vehicle he was eventually arrested driving, and compiled the information in a 100 page report.
Here’s how it happened.
A soldier took pity on Chase, who at the time was homeless, and provided Chase with a key to his room. Chase then took advantage of the poor oversight and conditions. He eventually became a barracks staple and was even issued a new key card of his own in corrective training with the help of fake IDs. Chase eventually took up the responsibilities of a soldier. He would offer conduct room inspections and assign rooms to soldiers.
The 20-year-old felon is being charged with driving while intoxicated, resisting or obstructing a police officer, open container, driving while license suspended and underage consumption of alcohol while driving. He is due to be arraigned in court in Federal Court in Fayetteville next month.
