Minneapolis (KROC-AM News) - A Dodge County man has pleaded guilty to impersonating a federal officer and possessing firearms as a felon.

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The U.S Attorney's office said that in August of 2021, the FBI received information that 53-year-old Reyel Simmons was pretending to be a federal agent with the United States Department of Homeland Security. Simmons created a TikTok account and used a profile photo that showed him wearing law enforcement gear and made several posts displaying law enforcement equipment, badges, and firearms, and “referring explicitly and implicitly to himself as a federal agent.”

Court records show that Simmons routinely had a backpack that he referred to as his “go bag”, which had the department emblem of the Department of Homeland Security and contained a Glock handgun, fake Department of Homeland Security badge, and other items related to Simmons’s supposed service in law enforcement and the military.

Sherburne County Sheriff's Office photo
Reyel Simmons
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Law enforcement seized eight firearms from Simmons’ residence, including assault rifles and sniper rifles, that were kept in a bunker and could be accessed through a hidden doorway located in a storage area of the basement. Simmons also admitted to possessing unregistered silencers/suppressors, detonating cord containing the explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), a blasting cap, thousands of rounds of ammunition, body armor with law enforcement emblems affixed to it, and other law enforcement style badges, clothing, bags, and identification documents.

Because of Simmons’ prior felony conviction in Colorado, he is prohibited under federal law, from possessing firearms, ammunition, or explosives at any time.

At no time has Simmons ever been employed by the United States Department of Homeland Security, and he has never been a sworn law enforcement officer with any federal, state, or local agency.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for a later date.

Wow! Check out how Rochester has changed throughout the years in these Google photos.

As we are soaring down Hwy 52, it is hard to imagine what life was like in our town before the Target store was built where it is today. Or the house that you live in now, at one point in town, that wasn't there. In fact, Rochester has grown so fast throughout the years, most of our houses weren't even around 50 years ago! Don't believe me? Look through these photos to get a glimpse of what Rochester was like years ago.

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