11-4-13 waupun man accused of impersonating judge and police officer

A not guilty plea for a Waupun man on charges that he extorted money by impersonating a judge and a police officer.  26 year old James Dunham is charged with threats to injure or accuse of crime, misappropriating identification information to obtain money, and impersonating a peace officer.  Dodge County prosecutors say 26-year-old James Dunham learned that a Beaver Dam area man allegedly had sexual contact with a 16-year-old girl and his cousin.  Officials say Dunham then called the man and passed himself off as Beaver Dam police Officer Nathan Keener, saying he would keep quiet about the sexual allegations if the subject paid him money.  Officials say Dunham later texted his victim, claiming to be a judge who demanded money -- or else he would forward the allegations to a prosecutor.  The subject told police he had a relationship with a woman he thought was 24 -- and he only learned she was 16 after her mother contacted him.  After two months of calls, the man ended up paying Dunham around 15-hundred dollars -- even though the purported officer insisted it would take nine-thousand dollars to keep him out of prison.  Investigators say no actual officers were involved in the case.