ATLANTA -- An Atlanta man with a long criminal history is accused of faking his own death to avoid further legal trouble.

Georgia homeland security investigators opened a case on Climmie Sealey, 31, last year. Investigators said Sealey stole a Paulding County woman's credit card number to buy police gear.

Somebody trying to get police uniforms and badges, that kind of thing is a big concern for us. Public trust is a big issue, said Georgia Bureau of Investigation special agent-in-charge Scott Dutton.

While investigating the alleged credit card fraud, Georgia state trooper David James discovered that Sealey worked at Grissom-East Lake Funeral Home in DeKalb County.

Months later, investigators said, DeKalb County police encountered Sealey working security at a strip mall. Sealey claimed he was an off-duty officer and investigators said he even called DeKalb police for backup one night on an arrest. As police wondered whether Sealey was a real officer, another report against him surfaced. A victim claimed Sealey was pretending to be his probation officer. He claimed Sealey established a curfew, searched his home and even threatened to arrest him.

He doesn't give up on what he's trying to accomplish, said James.

Now investigators said Sealey faked his own death to get out of further trouble with the law.

I think his initial reaction was to use the death certificate to have all prior cases against him dismissed based on the fact that he's dead, James said.

But Sealey is alive and residing in the DeKalb County jail.

Investigators said Sealey has a long arrest record. More than 10 years ago, Sealey was convicted in Florida of impersonating an officer.