1 year ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Two men are present facing misdemeanor charges aft dressing up arsenic ICE agents and harassing radical astatine River Park, each for societal media attention.
"On Monday, we started getting reports from the wide assemblage astir ICE agents being engaged successful enforcement enactment successful Fresno," Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias said.
Between Feb. 24 and 26, Councilmember Arias learned fake ICE agents harassed radical astatine 11 River Park businesses. Those suspects besides conducted postulation stops successful south, southwest and cardinal Fresno.
"Police began an probe that yet led to their apprehension connected First and Gettysburg, successful cardinal Fresno," Arias said.
According to Fresno police, the 2 men recorded their acts for societal media. A section transgression defence lawyer with astir 2 decades of acquisition admitted this transgression is unusual.
"I've ne'er heard of this earlier during my career," Fresno Criminal Defense Attorney Mark King said.
King says these are not blase criminals.
"It's 1 benignant of anserine to perpetrate a crime. To movie the transgression and station it connected societal media is simply a full antithetic level of stupid," King said.
Arias believes the duo targeted Fresno.
"They cognize it's a superior for the migrant community. They cognize that we're astir to commencement the seasonal harvest successful the state," Arias said.
And King expects District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp to record charges successful the authorities system.
"Impersonating a instrumentality enforcement serviceman tin get you up to a twelvemonth successful jailhouse and a $2,000 fine. If the U.S. attorney's bureau chose to prime it up, they could look arsenic galore arsenic 3 years successful situation successful the national system," King said.
