Philadelphia man charged with impersonating ICE agent during robbery in Northeast Philly, DA says
A 54-year-old man impersonated an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a robbery in Northeast Philly earlier in June, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office announced Monday.
Robert Rosado, of Lawndale, was arrested last week in connection with the robbery inside an automobile shop on the 6500 block of Harbison Avenue in Mayfair, where he zip-tied a woman, according to the DA's office.
Rosado was charged with robbery, weapons charges, terroristic threats, impersonating a public servant and other offenses, the DA's office said in a news release.
On June 8, Rosado entered the automobile shop and announced he was an ICE agent and that he "was going to take undocumented employees into custody," the DA's office said.
The DA's office said surveillance video shows Rosado dressed in a black baseball cap, blue latex gloves and a tactical vest that says "Security Enforcement Agent." He also had a black radio, a badge and a chain around his neck and a holstered gun.
Rosado then zip-tied the hands of a woman working at the store, and stole about $1,000 before fleeing the area in an unmarked white van, the DA's office said.
Rosado was arrested after investigators tracked down the van's license plate information from surveillance footage in the neighborhood. Investigators obtained a search warrant and found a fake badge, black radio, holster, an airsoft gun and zip ties, according to the DA's office.
Rosado is being held on $800,000 bail and has a preliminary hearing scheduled on July 8.
"The policies coming from the current administration in Washington, D.C., are making it easier for U.S. citizens to commit crimes against marginalized people, such as immigrants," Philadelphia District Attorney Krasner said in a statement. "I consider this case to be more serious than just a robbery. This is a crime against an entire community of people. My office will prosecute this case vigorously and we intend to seek a higher sentence for this defendant due to the nature of his crimes. Thank you to the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force for their thorough investigation of this incident."
In February, two Temple University students were suspended for impersonating ICE agents on campus.
