ST PAUL, Minn. — A Dodge County man will serve a 72-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to impersonating a federal officer and possessing firearms he was banned from.
Prosecutors say 53-year-old Reyel Devon Simmons was pretending to be an agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, going as far as creating social media sites under the name of Rey Reeves. A criminal complaint said Simmons would post pictures of himself in uniform, regularly displaying firearms and other tactical equipment.
Investigators say Simmons' fake TikTok account had nearly 10,000 people following his fake exploits, including a woman from Georgia who began a romantic relationship with him. In truth, he has never been employed by the Department of Homeland Security, or become a sworn officer of any police or sheriff's agency.
That woman was later tipped off about Simmons' ruse by another TikTok user, and helped make the case against him.
When he was arrested in August of 2021, law enforcement officers seized eight firearms from Simmons' residence, including handguns and rifles, some of which were discovered in a “safe room” or bunker that could only be accessed through a hidden doorway in his basement.
Because Simmons has a prior felony conviction in Colorado, he is prohibited under federal law, from possessing firearms, ammunition, or explosives at any time.
Besides his 72-month federal sentence, Simmons will be on supervised release for 3 years after he leaves prison.
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