A Minnesota State Capitol security officer who was accused of flashing a fake badge at a Minneapolis bar, threatening to arrest patrons, and then speeding off drunk with a loaded gun has pleaded guilty to fourth-degree DWI — all while continuing to collect a paycheck from taxpayers.
Cristian Orea entered the plea Monday in Hennepin County District Court. He will spend just under a month on house arrest and serve two years on probation, according to court records.
If Orea completes those terms, the charge of impersonating a peace officer will be dismissed from his record. Under the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop two additional charges: third-degree DWI and carrying a pistol under the influence.
Alpha News asked the Minnesota State Patrol whether Orea remains employed and whether he has been on paid administrative leave throughout the case.
A spokesperson responded: “Cristian Orea remains on contractual administrative leave pending an open complaint.”
When pressed on whether that status is paid, the agency responded:
“He is on paid investigatory leave as laid out in the bargaining unit contract.”
Bar confrontation led to dramatic arrest
Alpha News first reported in July that Orea was arrested after allegedly posing as an undercover narcotics officer at a Lake Street bar.
According to the criminal complaint, Minneapolis police were called to a restaurant on Lake Street just after midnight July 14 on a report of an intoxicated man with a firearm.
“Security observed [Orea] tell several people in the bar that he was a police officer while displaying the ‘badge’ on his phone,” the complaint states.
According to restaurant security, Orea identified himself as an “undercover officer on site for a narcotics investigation” and showed them a picture on his phone with a badge labeled “State Patrol.”
Security told Orea he could not be in the restaurant with a firearm while intoxicated and asked him to leave. Orea allegedly became upset and warned them not to “interfere with [his] investigation,” according to the complaint.
Then, as two men tried to leave the bar without paying, Orea reportedly stopped them, placed his hand on his firearm, and said, “I am a Police Officer. If you don’t pay, I can arrest you right now,” the complaint states.
Police recovered loaded firearm after arrest
Restaurant security called Minneapolis police to verify his credentials. When Orea realized they were checking, he bolted for his car and drove off, the complaint says. Officers caught him minutes later after watching him drift across lane lines.
Inside the car, police found his firearm and, in the back seat, a high-visibility jacket stamped with a Capitol Security patch and large black lettering reading “Capitol Security,” according to the complaint.
During the arrest, Orea reportedly refused sobriety tests and told officers, “Just book me.”
While being transported to the precinct, he repeatedly claimed to be law enforcement, the complaint says.
“We’re on the same page, we’re law enforcement,” Orea reportedly stated. “I work for State Patrol, I work in the Capitol, I’m a Capitol Officer … We got the Chopper, we got eyes everywhere, and State [Patrol] can go, well you know how it goes, we can go anywhere we want, we’ve got that jurisdiction.”
Officers later recovered a loaded Ruger pistol with a round in the chamber, according to the complaint.
The State Patrol told Alpha News earlier this year that Capitol Security officers are not issued firearms and only carry pepper spray in their official capacity.
Alpha News spoke to a former Capitol security staff who says hiring standards have slipped in recent years.
“When I started, they took hiring seriously,” he said. “Now you only need three months of fast-food experience to get 24/7 keycard access to all the buildings and rooms on the Capitol complex. With employees like this, who needs enemies?”
The State Patrol rejected that characterization at the time and issued a statement emphasizing its “highest ethical and professional standards.”
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
