Deputies: Polk County panhandler poses as military member for 3rd time

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A Polk County man has been accused a third time of misrepresenting himself as a military member to get money, deputies said.

He was caught thanks to a woman who thought it was suspicious when he asked her for money at a park, according to a report.

Kyle Barwan, 25, was originally arrested Jan. 25 in Hillsborough County on a Polk County warrant for stolen valor, and was charged again with a similar crime while in the Polk County Jail.

On April 28, a woman told deputies she was at Munn Park in downtown Lakeland when she was approached by Barwan.

Watch: Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd talks about Barwan's arrest

She said he told her and another woman he was a Green Beret and was getting re-deployed for 18 months.

He asked the women for money to help the homeless, deputies said.

The woman said she felt like she was being set up, so she declined and later looked up his name online.

She found articles about his arrests for impersonating military members, and posted the articles on his Facebook page.

The woman then contacted deputies.

Barwan’s probation officer told deputies she had recently received two other complaints about Barwan doing the same activity.

He’s being held in jail without bond on charges of soliciting funds while misrepresenting military service, fraud and violating probation.

Cox Media Group