Man Sentenced for Impersonating Homeland Security Agent

 WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Holly Springs man was sentenced today to one year of probation for impersonating an agent of the Department of Homeland Security.  On February 19, 2021, Allen David Reinemund pled guilty to a one count criminal information charging him with Impersonation of an Officer or Employee of the United States.  Reinemund was also ordered to pay a $500 fine.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Allen David Reinemund, 58, was operating a 1965 Shelby Cobra on US 401 in Fuquay-Varina, when he was stopped by the North Carolina Highway Patrol for speeding 80-mph in a 50-mph zone.  When asked for his license, Reinemund told the trooper he “was on the job” and stated he worked for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in an effort to avoid a speeding ticket.

The trooper ultimately arrested Reinemund for impersonation and speeding.  Doubling-down, Reinemund presented the Wake County District Attorney’s Office a photograph of a HSI ballistic vest with his name and badge indicting that he was an agent of HSI, in an effort to have his state charges dismissed.

HSI agents were contacted and obtained sufficient information to obtain a search warrant for the residence of Reinemund.  During the execution of the search warrant, agents seized an HSI badge, a ballistic vest, and other law enforcement paraphernalia from Reinemund’ s home.

“Impersonating a federal agent is a serious crime, one that is not victimless and harms law enforcement officers’ ability to protect the public from scam artists and others who exploit people’s fear for no other reason than to enrich themselves,” said G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  

“Playing cops and robbers is a game best left to kids, because impersonating a special agent is a serious crime that has even more serious consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in North Carolina. “The officers and agents of HSI work hard every day to protect this country and imposters, committing crimes and ruining our reputation, will not be tolerated.”

Mr. Acker made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. Homeland Security Investigations, HSI, Office of Professional Responsibility, and the North Carolina Highway Patrol investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Diaz  prosecuted the case.