Church Employee Accused of Posing as Federal Agent
A safety director at a Texas church has been arrested and charged with the serious offence of impersonating a public servant. Donald Doolittle, 58, who works for the Gateway Community Church in Webster, south-east of Houston, is alleged to have pretended to be an agent from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to extort money from a woman.
The Alleged Extortion Incident
According to police reports, the incident began when Doolittle booked and received a massage from a woman operating from a business in north-west Houston. When the session concluded, a dispute over payment methods arose. The woman stated she only accepted cash or payments via the digital network Zelle, while Doolittle attempted to use a credit card.
It was at this point, authorities say, that Doolittle produced an ID card labelled "ICE" and identified himself as an immigration agent. He then demanded to see the woman's identification, and she complied by showing him her temporary visa. Police allege that Doolittle then leveraged his fake authority to make a demand.
He demanded she Zelle him $500 or he would take her away and she would never see her family or children again, a magistrate revealed during a Saturday court hearing. Fearing deportation and separation from her family, the victim transferred the money to Doolittle.
Cover-Up Attempt and Investigation
In an attempt to conceal the crime, police stated that Doolittle later told the woman she would not be contacted by other ICE agents because he had marked her case for non-prosecution. He also allegedly instructed her to delete their text message exchange.
The scheme unravelled by chance the following day when the victim happened to meet police officers at a lunch and recounted her ordeal. When investigators interviewed Doolittle, he denied both receiving a massage and visiting the victim's place of business. However, surveillance video evidence from the location directly contradicted his statements, leading to his arrest.
This case emerges amidst warnings from ICE's own cyber crimes unit about criminals masquerading as their agents. In some instances, victims are directed to download ransomware or are contacted by scammers via phone or email. These fraudsters often claim the victim has violated immigration law, has incorrect identity information, or owes fees, threatening deportation if they do not comply or pay.
