Man posed as security guard to sneak into Taylor Swift’s concert in Miami, police say
A Key Biscayne man was arrested after police say he impersonated a security officer as a means of getting into pop star Taylor Swift’s concert at Hard Rock Stadium over the weekend.
Security at the stadium told police officers working the concert detail that there was a man wearing a blue suit on the field area with a gold badge around his neck Friday night.
An officer spotted the man, Ivan Mariotti, who told him that he was hired as security to escort four women to their seats, according to his arrest report.
However, the woman who hired him told police she did so for him to drive her nieces to the concert that night — but not as security, according to the report. She also told officers she did not know Mariotti possessed a badge, the report states.
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While police escorted 44-year-old outside the venue, an officer asked him which company he worked security for, and he replied he is employed by multiple companies. He initially stated he worked for Saint Security, a firm located in Key Biscayne.
The Herald called a phone number registered with the company, but did not receive a response. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Mariotti is a licensed private security officer.
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He was booked into Metro West Detention Center in Doral early Saturday morning on a felony charge of impersonating a police officer and a misdemeanor count of interference of a sporting or entertainment event.
A judge set Mariotti’s bond at $1,500, but he was still in jail on an immigration hold as of Monday night.
He is being represented by a Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office attorney, who did not immediately respond to the Herald’s request for comment.
This story was originally published October 21, 2024 at 5:55 PM.
