Philadelphia, PA– Detectives are searching for a man who they said posed as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent at a Philadelphia repair shop last week when he tied up a woman and stole $1,000 from her. The man yelled “immigration” before tying up the woman for two hours and taking her money, according to police. He fled in a white Ford van, similar to the unmarked white vans used by real ICE agents during immigration raids. The woman, a US citizen who was born in the Dominican Republic, was found by a coworker. She said she suffered bruises to her arm while trying to fight off the imposter ICE agent.
Police say the man wore a long-sleeve shirt, green cargo pants, a black baseball cap with an American flag on it, sunglasses and a black tactical vest emblazoned with the words “Security Enforcement Agent.”
The woman said she could not see the man’s face because he turned it from her when she tried to get a look at him. The assault and robbery took place amid ongoing, nationwide fears among Americans in the wake of raids by ICE agents in unmarked vehicles and without visible identification on homes and businesses.
To view the entire article and additional photos provided by the Irish Star news, click here.
If you have any information regarding this incident or information on this criminal, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.