WA man charged with criminal impersonation for posing as ICE agent

( Post Millennial )

Police in Fife, Washington, arrested the man who was allegedly posing as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in an SUV with fake ICE and US Department of Homeland Security emblems.

The vehicle was seen “patrolling” in the parking lot of a grocery store earlier this month.

On March 16, 2025, police responded to a 911 call regarding a suspicious vehicle at the Emish Market in Fife, Washington. The vehicle, a black 2019 Ford SUV, was identified as a former "police interceptor" and featured logos seemingly of an ICE unit. Witnesses reported that the occupants of the vehicle were taking videos of employees and customers. According to police, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the vehicle was not an official agency unit.

The Fife Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division, in coordination with the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations Seattle field offices, launched an investigation. The vehicle was later identified by Tukwila Police as a former patrol car sold to a private buyer after being designated a "total loss" by their insurance company.

KOMO News reported that tips and information from the public helped the Tukwila Police to identify the suspect, Ilya P. Kukhar, a 26-year-old Washington resident. Kukhar is not employed by any law enforcement agency and has been charged with one count of Criminal Impersonation in the Second Degree. He is scheduled to be arraigned on April 11 at Fife Municipal Court.