Impostor suspect arrested

A Huntington Beach man was arrested at his home Friday morning, facing accusations he impersonated a paramedic at major disaster scenes across America, from the World Trade Center to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Dean. His attorney disputes the claims, saying they are based on “misinformation.”

Authorities said James Charles Campbell, 44, is a convicted felon who used stolen Los Angeles County Fire Department equipment to pretend to be a paramedic captain who flew helicopters for the department. Authorities found the equipment, as well as a handgun and shotgun, in Campbell’s house while serving a search warrant, according to Orange County prosecutors. Possessing firearms as a convicted felon is illegal in California.

Campbell would hand out a DVD of his supposed exploits as a kind of business card, said deputy Dist. Atty. Andre Manssourian.

“He’s at the actual scene of these natural disasters playing hero, fighting the fires on the front lines a mere few feet from these fires,” Manssourian said. “All the while, he’s making sure he’s being filmed, making sure he’s being photographed and interviewed.”

But Campbell’s lawyer Scott Well said his client was a volunteer and an award-winning humanitarian, not a fraud.

“The District Attorney has released some information which we believe to be false and misleading,” Well said. “We plan on sharing all the information we have with the District Attorney’s office prior to any charges being filed.”

A two-month investigation based on a tip to authorities found from 2001 to the present, Campbell showed up at the World Trade Center after 9/11, three major hurricanes, and a number of California disasters, according to the district attorney. He was on the front lines of the Sawtooth fire in San Bernardino County and the Esperanza fire in Riverside County with a video camera, gaining access to secure fire areas, and he was also at a Metrolink train accident in Placentia, authorities said.

Campbell has prior felony convictions in Arizona related to burglary and the fraudulent misuse of credit cards, according to the district attorney’s office. He was working in that state as an emergency medical technician, but his license was revoked because of the felonies. He then got a California EMT license in 1995, but it was revoked in November 1997 for failure to disclose the convictions.

His business in Anaheim, Frontline Safety Products — founded in 2001 — sells fire safety gear online and offers CPR training locally.

“It’s more than just the glory,” Manssourian said. “In a business context, people think he’s an actual firefighter. When he’s selling fire safety equipment, it gives him credibility in the eyes of the customers.”

Campbell has not yet been charged; he posted $20,000 bail at Orange County Jail and is expected to appear in court for an arraignment Oct. 5, Dist. Atty. spokeswoman Farrah Emami said.