Wilhelm Voigt

Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt was a German con man and impostor. In his most famous exploit, Voigt masqueraded as a military officer of the elite Prussian Guards in 1906, rounding up a number of Imperial German Army soldiers under his command, arresting the Mayor of Köpenick, and confiscating 4,002 marks from the city treasury. Voigt then changed back into civilian clothing and disappeared with the money. The case was exploited for British propaganda about German militarism, but the German people overwhelmingly considered Voigt's exploit to be both clever and hilarious. Although Voigt was soon caught and served 20 months in prison, he became a folk hero as "the Captain of Köpenick" and was granted a full pardon by Kaiser Wilhelm II.