Identity theft and the creation of false profiles on social networks are becoming more and more common, a double-edged sword in the modern world. In Minnesota, United States, a man posed as a police officer on the social network TikTokbut the move did not go too well for him and he ended up in prison.
Reyel Devon Simmons, 53, opened a profile on the platform, identifying herself as “King Reeves”. She took the opportunity to post videos, in which she identified herself as an officer and pretended to work for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
He had more than 10,000 followers, made posts in which he appeared dressed in clothing he said was police gear and displayed “badges and firearms,” according to the Justice Department.
According to authorities, in February 2021, Simmons met a woman through social media. He began to exchange frequent messages with this person, they began to see each other in person and began a romantic relationship, as explained by Insider.
The two traveled and stayed in hotels, where Simons claimed DHS was footing the bill. But the woman herself became suspicious when she saw a comment on one of her videos, in which she accused him of impersonating a police officer. For this reason, she went to the FBI and filed a complaint in August of last year.
A month later, police captured the man and last January, he pleaded guilty to the charges as part of a plea deal. The FBI will ask you to provide “as much information as possible” and the American justice sentenced him to six years in prison, to which another three supervised release will be added.
Discussion about this post