An 18-year-old Ohio man who duped local high school officials into thinking he was a state lawmaker is facing criminal charges. But someone really ought to give him an award for making a brilliant point about the state of the nation’s political affairs.
First, Izaha Akins, the young faux-politico, convinced the general manager of a car dealership in Upper Wyandot County, Ohio, into believing he was a newly appointed state senator. Then, along with a couple of “aides”, he traveled in a car loaned to him by the dealership to the local high school, where administrators happily invited the lawmaker to address students.
Akins said his stunt was about drawing attention to a lack of school security.
Mr. Akins rendered Wyandot County red-faced after he was allowed to speak to a high school American Government class while using his own name and claiming to have been appointed to replace state Sen. David Burke (R., Marysville), who, he told officials, had resigned because of illness.
Authorities said Mr. Akins got a tour of the school and addressed the class at Mohawk High School in Sycamore on Dec. 15.
Mohawk Schools Superintendent Ken Ratliff said the young man fooled the teacher, the principal, and apparently everyone else he came in contact with that day.
The fraud only came to light when Senator Burke showed up as scheduled Jan. 14, Mr. Ratliff said. He said they kept the investigation quiet.
In other words, the folks Akins came into contact with that day were evidently so oblivious to the local political scene that they believed he was their elected representative.
And get this… he delivered a speech about the importance of political engagement while visiting the school.
“The presentation was about being active in politics, political processes. Everyone thought it was legit, bought into it, including the teacher,” Mohawk Schools Superintendent Ken Ratliff told the Blade.
Hopefully, the folks present for the event listened and are now aware of who are their local elected officials.
When Burke learned about the elaborate prank, he says he immediately notified law enforcement. Law enforcement has since charged with Akins with impersonating a peace officer and telecommunications fraud (both of which, I might add, seem a bit overblown).
I think the town should give him an award for reminding all of us that we don’t pay enough attention to the political processes in our communities. Do you know who your local lawmakers are?
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