Southgate woman accused of impersonating CIA agent to get child custody

SOUTHGATE, Mich (WJBK) - A Southgate woman tried to get custody of her niece from foster care and police said she lied about where she worked and she could now be going to prison.

Neighbors said that Suzanne Bucki and her sister Rachel have lived in Southgate for years.

Suzanne is currently being investigated for impersonating a CIA agent.
 
This all began roughly two years ago. One neighbor tells said he remembers when Rachel's now two-year-old was taken from the home and put in foster care.

"There was a cop car there escorting a woman away from the house.", said the neighbor.

According to court documents police found an illegal marijuana grow operation in the house.
 
The child was taken to a foster home in Belleville where according police 36-year-old Bucki created an elaborate tale to gain custody of the child.

On January 13th, Bucki said she worked with the CIA and had the paperwork to prove it. Less than a week later the child was living with her at the home in Southgate.

According to police not only did she tell the staff at the foster home that she was in the CIA, but also she was a member of the Russian ballet, spoke 26 languages, and made $46,000 a month.

"I do know she has a high IQ. She's very intelligent. I've had numerous conversations with her and she has always been very articulate." said, Hal Berriman, Belleville Police Chief

Chief Berriman said his office got involved a week after Bucki was given custody.

"When they did a background check to verify her employment it came back as no record."

Police immediately took the child away from Bucki and placed the girl back into the foster home.

That is when police say Bucki came back looking for the girl with her licensed gun in hand.

"They locked the door so she couldn't get in."

When police asked to see her CPL they say she showed them a fake CIA badge and said she was an agent.
 
As police pushed a little Bucki eventually confessed saying she made it up to get her niece in her care.

The FBI said she has committed a federal crime.

Some are concerned that she was able to get away with it at all.

"If you are going to be allowing someone to be taking care of a minor child like that there should be a full background check before you get custody of the child.", said a neighbor.

The official charge is impersonating a federal agent which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison.

According to the court papers the foster home had submitted two requests for verification from the CIA.

FOX 2 was unable to get anyone from the foster care home to comment.