O.C. security guard who lives in Riverside accused of impersonating a federal agent

A private security guard for an Orange County retirement community was arrested Monday, Aug. 24, on suspicion of pretending to be a federal law enforcement agent.

A newly unsealed federal complaint alleges that Donovan Pham Nguyen, 34, of Riverside pretended for years to be a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations and accuses him of using a fake federal ID badge to buy firearms.

At one point, the complaint says, Nguyen was introduced to members of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office by a mutual friend and met with them while claiming to be a federal agent in order to discuss a potential criminal investigation.

He later told the DA’s Office that, after discussing the matter with a “supervisor,” he could not help them with the suggested investigation, according to federal prosecutors.

On another occasion, while working for a retirement community, Nguyen falsely claimed he was a federal law enforcement agent to agents with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service while they were preparing to execute an arrest warrant, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

It is unclear why he purportedly tried to insert himself into the cases.

Nguyen had been a privately contracted security guard at a Department of Homeland Security facility, prosecutors said, but he never worked directly for the federal law enforcement agency. He was forced to leave that private security job following allegations that he printed fake Homeland Security Investigations ID documents, according to the complaint.

The complaint also alleges that a false federal law enforcement ID allowed Nguyen to by guns without taking, or paying for, safety courses typically required.

Nguyen touted his allegedly false credentials on social media, prosecutors said,including a LinkedIn profile that listed his employment as a “Department of Homeland Security Agent.” In a YouTube video, he discusses immigration policies while claiming to be a long-time special agent.

His private vehicle was outfitted with red and blue lights and a siren, the complaint alleges, and he was known to hand out Homeland Security Investigation memorabilia, including mugs and coins.

Prosecutors also allege that when trying to excuse frequent absences from work, Nguyen referenced his “duties” as a federal agent.