Three dopes from Staten Island were so hot to play a video game about being criminals, they got arrested for posing as cops, sources said.
The trio were busted Tuesday when they claimed to be officers so they could cut in front of a line of hundreds of other people and buy a copy of the video game “Grand Theft Auto V,” according to police.
Kirolos Abdel Sayed, 19, an auxiliary police officer, and his two buddies, Frank Santanastaso, 19, and Matthew Kirsheh, 20, allegedly strolled into the Staten Island Mall just after midnight and flashed a badge so they could get into a GameStop, cops said.
The fake cops even pulled up to the mall with a former unmarked police vehicle — which was bought at a police auction and was equipped with lights and siren, a source said.
Abdel Sayed said, “I’m with the NYPD,” so the trio could get into the mall, according to a source.
They then sauntered into a GameStop store and purchased a copy of the popular game before attempting to make their getaway.
But the crew must have been nervous because they ran a number of stop signs outside the mall parking lot and were quickly pulled over, police said.
The men were charged with criminal impersonation, and could face up to a year in jail.
In the crime- and violence-packed video game, players assume the role of gangsters, stabbing and shooting their way to the top of a fictional city based on Los Angeles.
Put out by Rockstar games, the “Grand Theft Auto” series has garnered huge sales and critical acclaim. It has also drawn controversy because it allows the players freedom to go on violent rampages, killing cops and hookers.
As excitement built for the release on Monday, gamers waited in line around the world.
One man in London was stabbed and robbed of the game, the BBC reported.
One store in Australia even put out fake drug paraphernalia on the counter as a prop for the game’s debut.
The game is expected to sell 20 million copies and rake in over $1 billion.