Impersonating Officer Leads To Woodbridge Man's Conviction

WOODBRIDGE, VA — A Woodbridge man was convicted by a federal jury last Friday for impersonating a federal officer.

Russel Guye Dadzie, 50, was convicted on charges of false impersonation of an officer or employee of the United States. Dadzie had been employed as a security guard with a third-party contractor at federal buildings since at least 2015 and had Personal Identity Verification cards and agreements with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

According to prosecutors, Dadzie claimed he was a federal officer during a traffic stop by Prince William County Police on Sept. 15, 2023. Dadzie said multiple times he was "with DHS," a "DHS officer" and a "federal officer." Instead of producing a license, Dadzie showed his DHS Personal Identity Verification card and told police, "you’re asking a federal officer if there’s anything illegal in his vehicle?"

Prince William County Police stopped Dadzie's vehicle again, finding the inspection sticker on the vehicle had expired. When an officer asked to see Dadzie's driver's license, Dadzie showed the officer multiple Personal Identity Verification cards, handed over a USAID Personal Identity Verification card and said he was a federal officer with USAID.

According to prosecutors, Dadzie had received training for his security guard duties that his authority was limited to buildings he was assigned to guard during shifts. In addition, the training said he was not a federal employee, federal agent, or federal officer and that he shouldn't identify himself as such or face criminal charges.

Dadzie received the training multiple times, including in January 2023. The Personal Identity Verification cards gave access to the federal buildings where he worked, but agreements with the federal agencies said he could not display them or use them outside of work.

Dadzie could face up to three years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 12.