WASHINGTON COUNTY, IL — A 23-year-old former Washington County corrections officer pleaded guilty Thursday in Washington County Court to impersonating a police officer in exchange for five other charges against him being dismissed. Ethan Foster was sentenced to 36-months ‘Second Chance Probation’ and ordered to complete 300 hours community service within two years after he pleaded guilty to the Class 2 felony charge.

The other charges of Class 2 felony use of an oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights on a motor vehicle, Class 3 felony false personification of a peace officer while carrying a deadly weapon, Class 4 felonies for unlawful restraint and false personification of a peace officer, and misdemeanor possession of blue oscillating, or flashing lights were all dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea to the one charge. He was dismissed as a correctional officer at the Washington County Jail just 18 months after his hire date of January 2019.

According to court records, Foster committed the offense of unlawful use of oscillating, rotating or flashing lights on a motor vehicle when he as “a volunteer firefighter knowingly and without legal authority operated” a Dodge Dart at a time he was not responding to an emergency or when parked or stationary at the time of a fire, rescue or other emergency call. The charges also state that Foster “falsely represented himself to be a peace officer while carrying a deadly weapon,” knowingly and without legal authority someone in which he initiated a traffic stop on their vehicle by parking his vehicle and prevented this person from leaving their vehicle.

The incident that led to Foster’s arrest occurred on August 19th, 2020.