A rural Humboldt woman who allegedly identified herself as an employee of the Neosho County Health Department and requested school and government officials to act upon her statements, was taken into custody last week by the Allen County Sheriff’s Office.
Master Deputy Daren Kellerman said Jennifer C. Tobin, 32, was arrested at her residence Tuesday on four counts of false impersonation of a public employee and two counts of interference with law enforcement.
“Among other contacts, Ms. Tobin spoke with at least two law enforcement officers Tuesday and identified herself as a Health Department employee, which she is not,” Kellerman said. “She was found to have in her possession what appeared to be an employee badge. She no longer has that.”
Kellerman said the incidents stemmed from a domestic dispute in which she is accused of posing as a public health officer in order to be tested numerous times for COVID-19, resulting in multiple periods where she and her daughter were in quarantine.
Tobin posted an $8,000 appearance bond.
“While I don’t doubt Ms. Tobin thought what she was doing was in the best interests of public safety, especially in view of current world health concerns with the pandemic, she just went about things in a way that could have ended up causing more concern or harm than good,” Kellerman said.
