A Fairhaven man could face up to six years in prison for making fake distress calls to the Coast Guard.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says on three occassions in the Spring of 2015, 47-year-old Roger Martin made distress calls to the U.S. Coast Guard, claiming he was on board a vessel in the Cape Cod Canal and was taking on water. In each instance, Martins impersonated another Fairhaven resident, providing dispatchers with the resident's name, address, and on one occassion, date of birth. Martins obtained the personal information by improperly using a law enforcement database during his time as a Bristol County Sheriff's dispatcher.

Martins pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court to three counts of sending false distress messages to the Coast Guard and one count of identity fraud.

Martins faces sentencing on November 22nd. The maximum penalties call for six years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.

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