Dodge Center Man Charged With Impersonating a Federal Officer

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Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Dodge County man is facing a federal charge for allegedly impersonating a federal law enforcement officer.

A news release issued by Acting US Attorney for Minnesota W. Anders Folk says the FBI received a tip on August 17 that 52-year-old Reyel Simmons was impersonating a Department of Homeland Security agent. An investigation discovered the Dodge Center man would regularly portray himself as a federal agent on social media.

According to court documents, his TikTok account had nearly 10,000 followers and featured a profile photo showing him wearing law-enforcement gear and included a number of posts that displayed law enforcement equipment, badges, and firearms. The criminal charge also alleges that he explicitly referred to himself as a federal agent.

The news release stresses that Simmons is not, and never has been, employed by the federal Department of Homeland Security. Federal prosecutors are asking anyone who has had an interaction with him to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.

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