In the summer of 2021, a man posing as a police officer roamed the Carthage neighborhood and robbed multiple people – all were Hispanic.

According to court documents, the man would shine a flashlight in a victim’s eyes and point what apparently was a BB gun at the person.

Four robberies in August 2021 were connected to the man. In early September 2021, Cincinnati police arrested then-22-year-old David Heimpold. He was charged with robbery and impersonating a police officer.

Police said in court documents that Heimpold “confessed to the robberies.”

Heimpold, now 23, was held at the Hamilton County Justice Center for nearly two years while awaiting trial, records say.

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But this week, prosecutors were forced to ask a judge to dismiss the charges. None of the five alleged victims subpoenaed as witnesses showed up for trial dates scheduled for mid-July, Aug. 14, then Aug. 15.

A spokeswoman for the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s office said the charges were dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning the charges could be refiled in the future.

It’s not clear why the witnesses didn’t show up for the trial in Common Pleas Judge Alison Hatheway's courtroom.

Three of the four robberies happened in similar ways. While patting people down, the impersonator took wallets, purses and cellphones. Approximately $3,750 in cash was taken during four robberies, the documents say.

In the last robbery police connected to Heimpold, which happened shortly after midnight on Aug. 30, 2021, two people posing as police officers stopped a Hispanic couple.

They “jumped out of a vehicle” and demanded that the man and woman face their vehicle, according to court documents.

The two police imposters “patted the victims down and stole” cash as well as items including cellphones. Then they drove away. The second suspect was not identified.

Heimpold’s attorney, Kerry Neff, did not return a message seeking comment.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How case involving robber who posed as a police officer got dismissed