A former private security guard at an active adult community in Southern California has pleaded guilty to impersonating a federal law enforcement agent.
Donovan Pham Nguyen, who formerly worked at Laguna Woods Village, Laguna Woods, CA, agreed to a plea deal in which he will admit to one count of impersonating a federal officer He faces up to three years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 3.
Nguyen began working at the community’s private security company in 2015, falsely telling his coworkers that he was a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations to the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service as DSS agents were preparing to execute an arrest warrant at his job site, according to a Department of Justice complaint.
He also reportedly admitted to falsely telling a Riverside County District Attorney’s Office employee that he was an HSI special agent and discussed a pending investigation.
Nguyen used his falsely assumed title to conduct traffic stops of his coworkers and search them, which was not permitted as part of his employment, the DOJ said. His coworkers reported seeing an HSI badge, a Department of Homeland Security plaque and various tactical gear in his office, and they reported that his personal vehicle was equipped with red and blue lights and a siren, according to the Department of Justice. His social media accounts also listed DHS as his employer.
He also reportedly used false DHS identification to buy firearms to avoid taking and paying for state-required firearm safety courses.
Nguyen never worked for HSI, although he previously was a privately contracted security guard at a Department of Homeland Security facility. He left that job in 2015 after an internal investigation was launched following allegations that he printed fake HSI identification documents, according to the DOJ.
Laguna Woods Village fired Nguyen after his arrest. In published reports, the community said he was hired by a previous management company that failed to conduct a background check.
