Workers at an El Dorado Hills construction site were reportedly robbed by a man who identified himself as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent before handcuffing them and demanding “court fees,” KTLA sister station KTXL reported Tuesday.
The man threatened the workers with deportation if they didn’t pay, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said. A similar incident happened a week earlier, according to the sheriff’s office.
The man was not an ICE agent or any officer of the law. Instead, investigators identified him as 56-year-old Patrick Mullany.
Detectives got a search warrant for Mullany’s Cameron Park vehicle and home, where he was arrested. During the search, law enforcement reportedly located two replica firearms, two sets of handcuffs and a large amount of cash.
On Tuesday, KXTL stopped by the Cameron Park home associated with the name Patrick Mullany. Nobody answered the door, but some people eventually came to the home. They were very upset and said nobody living there knew anything about the case other than what was posted online by the sheriff’s office.
However, neighbors recognized Mullany’s mugshot. Those who spoke with reporters said didn’t know much more about him and that he usually kept to himself.
John Flores said he was surprised to see the heavy police presence Monday in the quiet neighborhood when Mullany was arrested.
The sheriff’s office did not respond to KXTL’s attempts to reach a public information officer for more details about the locations of the reported robberies and how investigators linked them to Mullany.
Mullany was booked into the El Dorado County Jail on suspicion of robbery, false imprisonment and impersonating a police officer; he may also face federal charges for impersonating an ICE officer.