UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. - A 20-year-old man spent several hours Monday lecturing students at a University Place middle school about his adventures fighting for the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan. But according to school officials, Antonio Codute-Farrison was never in the military.
He was arrested Tuesday morning.
According to school officials Codute-Farrison used to attend Drum Intermediate School. On Monday morning, a former teacher at Drum said the former student asked if he could speak to the students.
The teacher allowed it, and encouraged other teachers to allow Codute-Farrison to speak to their students.
That teacher has been put on administrative leave because the guest speaker was not screened before being allowed to speak to students.
Codute-Farrison was dressed in military fatigues, and had a knife hanging from his clothes.
"This is a real breach of security," said University Place School District Deputy Superintendent Terry Pullen. "We're embarrassed by it."
Pierce County Sheriff's Investigators said the alleged imposter has been arrested before for pretending to be a police officer.
