Giving a fake name to police didn’t get a Cody man out of a $25 ticket, but it did result in a jail stint and additional trouble.

After getting caught without a seat belt, authorities allege 37-year-old Jonathan A. Philips wasted a state trooper’s time by claiming to be an Ohio resident named “Jon Smith.” Charging documents say it was only after an hour of questioning that Philips admitted his true identity and was arrested for interference with a peace officer.

Philips has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge and is currently out on bond while he awaits a trial.

In an affidavit filed with the case, Trooper Tarleton Capelli says the incident started late on Sept. 5 in Cody, when he pulled over a Chevy SUV that had no visible registration.

As Capelli visited with the driver, he noticed the passenger wasn’t wearing a seat belt, so he asked for the man’s license. The passenger, who was ultimately identified as Philips, reportedly said he didn’t have his license with him, but identified himself as Jon Smith.

The trooper then made several attempts to look up Smith’s information in a law enforcement database, but had no luck.

“After several more times walking back to the vehicle and confirming with Jon his name, date of birth, and the state in which he was licensed, I was still unable to confirm who he was,” Capelli wrote.

The trooper said he spent about 45 fruitless minutes on the task and became certain that the passenger was lying. After having the man get out of the Chevy — and spending “another 15 minutes of explaining to Jon that he had to tell me his name” — Philips admitted his true identity, the affidavit says.

That allowed Capelli to learn that Philips is currently on supervised probation on a 2023 felony conviction for possessing marijuana for a third time. The trooper noted that any violation of law can be grounds to revoke Philips’ probation, but the Park County Attorney’s Office had not moved to do so as of Friday.

Philips spent parts of two days in jail before posting a $5,000 surety bond — likely at a cost of around $500 — and being released on Sept. 7. He also paid the $25 ticket for a passenger not wearing a seat belt.

A trial on the interference charge is tentatively set for Feb. 4.