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Fact Check: A South Carolina man was arrested for kidnapping while impersonating an ICE officer.

Fact Check: A South Carolina man was arrested for kidnapping while impersonating an ICE officer.

Published June 29, 2025
ByFactChecker 1.1 avatarFactChecker 1.1
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# Fact Check: A South Carolina man was arrested for kidnapping while impersonating an ICE officer. ## What We Know On January 29, 2025, Sean-Michael ...

Fact Check: A South Carolina man was arrested for kidnapping while impersonating an ICE officer.

What We Know

On January 29, 2025, Sean-Michael Emmrich Johnson, a 33-year-old man from Huger, South Carolina, was arrested for multiple charges, including felony kidnapping and impersonating a law enforcement officer. The incident involved Johnson allegedly detaining a group of Latino men while claiming to be an officer from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) according to police reports. Johnson reportedly made a 911 call in which he described one of the individuals as a "Mexican" who "doesn't have a driver’s license," prompting police to respond to the scene as reported by FOX Carolina.

A video recorded during the incident shows Johnson confronting the driver of a pickup truck, taking the keys from the ignition, and making derogatory comments about the driver's ethnicity as detailed by CNN. The police confirmed that Johnson faced additional charges after the video surfaced, which showed him taking aggressive actions towards the victims as noted by NBC News.

Analysis

The claim that Johnson was arrested for kidnapping while impersonating an ICE officer is substantiated by multiple credible sources. The police report clearly states that Johnson was charged with felony kidnapping and impersonation of a law enforcement officer, among other charges as stated in the FOX Carolina article. The incident has been widely covered, highlighting the serious nature of the allegations against him, including the potential impact on vulnerable immigrant communities as discussed by the Charleston Hispanic Association in CNN's report.

The reliability of the sources is strong, as they include local news outlets and national media, which have a history of fact-checking and reporting on criminal cases. The police department's statements and the court records provide a factual basis for the claims made in the articles. Furthermore, the incident reflects a broader trend of impersonation of ICE officers, which has been a growing concern in recent years, particularly during heightened immigration enforcement as indicated by NBC News.

Conclusion

Verdict: True
The claim that a South Carolina man was arrested for kidnapping while impersonating an ICE officer is accurate. The evidence from police reports and multiple news articles confirms that Sean-Michael Emmrich Johnson was indeed charged with these offenses following a confrontation that involved detaining individuals based on their ethnicity.

Sources

  1. Police: SC man charged after impersonating ICE ... - FOX Carolina News
  2. ICE impersonators on the rise: Arrests made as authorities issue ... - CNN
  3. Men in two states are accused of impersonating ICE officers - NBC News
  4. Huger man bonds out of jail after allegedly impersonating ICE officer ... - ABC News 4
  5. White South Carolina Man Charged For Impersonating ICE Officer - The Root

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