Robert Hunter: 5 Other Celebrity Imposters Who Committed Crimes

Culture

Robert Hunter, 35, pretended to be pop star Justin Bieber for years, telling underage girls that he would be their boyfriend if they filmed themselves performing sex acts. Over 800 videos were found in his home, some from children as young as nine years old. Despite preying on child from across the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Asia, and Canada, Hunter will only serve 14 years in prison.  

Hunter is not the first, nor will he be the last criminal to use a celebrity identity to commit crimes. Here are five high-profile cases of celebrity impostors on the wrong side of the law.

1. Lee Moir Impersonates Justin Bieber

Lee Moir, 34, from Toronto, also posed as the pop sensation on Facebook in order to solicit a 12-year-old New Jersey girl to perform sexual acts in front of her webcam. The girl eventually ceased contact which elicited threats from Moir. He was eventually caught when he arranged a meeting with an undercover police officer and was subsequently arrested.

2. Elvis Impersonator Michael Conley Has Four-Hour Standoff With FBI

Michael Conley was once convicted for murdering a Canadian tourist in a Fort Lauderdale motel, but his conviction was tossed out following a prosecution foul-up. Conley was an Elvis impersonator in the Florida area who locked himself into a Florida motel when police came to execute a warrant for his arrest.

Conley held up a vial claiming to be ricin which was later determined to be common table salt; he also claimed to have C-4 explosives. Conley blamed the incident on a diabetic reaction.

3. Kerry Marshall Impersonates Model Katie Price

18-year-old Kerry Marshall, who is currently undergoing a sex change procedure, was able to convince bank tellers that she was one of the most famous women in Great Britain. Marshall obtained Price's financial information after tricking the model's security in her Sussex home by posing as a member of security. Marshall used the money to purchase a Mazda MX5 sports car among other goods. She has since plead guilty to five charges of fraud.

4. Bob Marley Impersonator Melvyn Edwards Rapes and Kills His Wife

Melvyn Edwards, 59, impersonated Bob Marley on cruise ships, and returned to his wife leaving him. Edwards had grown jealous following his wife's slimming from a size 18 to a size 10 while he was away entertaining. His spouse, Juliet, told him to take his property out of the house. Juliet was forced into having sex and then was killed when he knifed her in the neck and left her to bleed to death.

Edwards is serving 16 years in prison for rape and manslaughter.

5. Kevin Eckenrod Impersonates Creed Guitarist Mark Tremonti

Kevin Eckenrod, 40, had been arrested over 60 times and lived under more than 30 aliases before impersonating the Creed guitarist. Eckenrod had been charging drinks to rooms he wasn't staying at and stealing credit cards, among other crimes.

Following his arrest Eckenrod said, "This is getting old, but you have to admit I do look like the guy from Creed." Eckenrod spent 13 days in jail after pleading no contest to charges of defrauding an innkeeper and obstruction.  After being released he resumed the scam at a different hotel.