Fake ICE bounty hunter wanted for robbing Hispanic men

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - A man who police said pretended to be a bounty hunter with U.S. Immigration and Customs Office (ICE) in order to rob a group of men is at large.

Memphis Police Department identified him as 24-year-old Daquawn Simmons. He is facing charges of aggravated assault, attempted robbery, and using a firearm to commit a felony.

Investigators said Simmons went up to a group of Hispanic men while they were working on July 25.

Simmons told the men he was a bounty hunter with ICE. He pointed a gun at them and told them they would be deported unless they handed over all their money.

In a Facebook Live video viewed more than 150,000 times, Latino activist Jose Salazar and an attorney from Latino Memphis confronted Simmons at a mechanic shop after reports he asked to see green cards.

"If they would say no he would basically hold them hostage until they paid $150 or he would call ICE on them," Salazar said.

ICE representatives said Simmons is not with them, and he's not with MPD either. Memphis police said Simmons was falsely impersonating a bounty hunter assigned by ICE.

Officers said they've received recent reports that Simmons showed up with two guns strapped to his chest, pointing a gun at a group of men while saying they would be deported if they didn't pay up. They gave him money believing he was an ICE agent, according to police.

WMC investigators went to the last known address for Simmons and found out the apartment complex is gated. We also dug through Simmons' criminal past and found just last month he was indicted on felony aggravated assault with a bond of $25,000.

"It's sad that people would try to take advantage but it's reality," Salazar said. "That's why we go out and tell people their rights."

Meanwhile, MPD Director Mike Rallings said they are diligently working to find the man still on the run.

"We will continue to look for him until we place him in custody," Rallings said.

Simmons has not been caught. Anyone with information pertaining to his whereabouts is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story reported that Simmons was behind bars. That is inaccurate. MPD is still trying to locate and arrest Simmons.]

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