Nicholas M. Fuhst

Nicholas M. Fuhst, 18, waives his preliminary hearing in front of Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank on Thursday, June 2, 2016. Fuhst is charged with impersonating a peace officer to commit a crime in connection with a May 12 incident at the Hooters restaurant at 5538 Bay in Kochville Township.

(Jeff Schrier | MLive.com)

SAGINAW, MI -- An 18-year-old could serve prison time for impersonating a police officer in an attempt to become Facebook friends with Hooters workers.

Nicholas M. Fuhst appeared before Chief Circuit Judge Fred L. Borchard on Thursday, July 28, and pleaded no contest to a felony charge of impersonating a peace officer to commit a crime.

Fuhst pleaded to that charge, which carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison, for a May 12 incident at the Hooters restaurant at 5538 Bay in Kochville Township.

Fuhst's plea agreement calls for Borchard to sentence Fuhst within his state sentencing guidelines, which either will be scored at zero months to 13 months or zero months to 25 months.

Borchard then will set a maximum sentence. Fuhst's third-time habitual offender status will double the maximum possible penalty to eight years in prison.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Boyd has said Fuhst, who last lived in Vanderbilt in Otsego County, represented himself as an undercover police officer and obtained a list of employees at the restaurant. After reviewing the list, Fuhst asked for more detailed information about some of the workers, Boyd said.

"He indicated that he went to Hooters because he wanted to talk to the girls to see if they would be friends on Facebook," Boyd said.

At Fuhst's May 19 arraignment on a probation violation charge, Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Albosta said that when police arrested Fuhst, they found three knives, lighter fluid, zip ties and observed several names circled on the employee list.

"I think there were some dark thoughts going through his mind," Albosta said.

In addition to the impersonation charge, Fuhst pleaded to a misdemeanor count of disturbing workers, which carries a 90-day maximum penalty.

At the time of the Hooters incident, Michigan Department of Corrections records listed Fuhst as an absconder from probation. He was serving two years of probation for unrelated crimes of arson of personal property worth more than $1,000 but less than $20,000 and malicious destruction of personal property worth more than $1,000 but less than $20,000.

Fuhst on Thursday also pleaded no contest to violating his probation by absconding and by committing the crimes at Hooters. He also could receive a prison sentence for the probation violation.

Fuhst's no contest pleas mean he does not contest that prosecutors' evidence would convict him. They are not an admission of guilt but are treated as such for sentencing purposes. The reason for the no contest pleas was potential civil liability.

Borchard is scheduled to sentence Fuhst, who remains jailed without bond, on Sept. 8.