RALEIGH, N.C. (WRAL) – A man is behind bars for allegedly impersonating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The 37-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a motel over the weekend.
The Motel 6 located on Appliance Court in Raleigh is the site of the reported rape on Sunday.
Arrest warrants say Carl Bennett went to the location and committed a number of crimes, including multiple sex offenses.
Bennett, according to the arrest documents, threatened to deport the victim if she did not have sex with him. He allegedly displayed a business card with a badge on it.
“This is kind of a perfect storm, what’s happening right now, and it’s opening up opportunities for people who are not doing any kind of law enforcement to take advantage of people in terrible ways,” Nikki Baena, of Siembra NC, said.
Siembra NC is a grassroots organization focused on defending the rights of immigrants.
Baena said people are preying on the sense of fear that some immigrants have with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She’s not surprised by allegations of intimidation through impersonation, given the current political climate.
“People wouldn’t be surprised that an ICE agent acted in an inappropriate way because they often do act in an inappropriate ways to get information out of people,” Baena alleged.
Raleigh police didn’t share the race or immigration status of the victim who was involved.
Bennett is charged with multiple sex crimes.
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