Reyel Simmons Sentenced To 6 Years For Impersonating Federal Officer On TikTok

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) - A southern Minnesota man who pleaded guilty to pretending to be a federal officer on TikTok was sentenced on Thursday to six years in prison.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, 53-year-old Reyel Simmons created a TikTok profile with the username "Rey Reeves" and showed himself as a federal agent. He wore law enforcement gear and displayed guns and badges, calling himself a federal agent to his nearly 10,000 followers, investigators said.

He was not ever employed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, nor was he ever a sworn law enforcement officer. Investigators said they were tipped off by a woman who he dated.

At his home, officers found eight firearms, including assault rifles and sniper rifles ste were stored in a bunker. He also said he had unregistered silencers, a detonating cord, a blasting cap, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Simmons admitted to possessing body armor with law enforcement emblems, badges, and identification documents.

Simmons had a prior felony conviction in Colorado, which prevented him from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

He pleaded guilty to one count of impersonating a federal officer and one count of possessing firearms as a felon in January. Following his six-year prison sentence, he will also undergo three years of supervised release.