On January 24, 2018, in the District of New Jersey, the Department of Justice announced that former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee Deon Owensby was facing charges for impersonating a Federal officer or employee and possessing an official badge or identification card without authorization.1 Owensby was charged with the offenses in a criminal complaint filed on January 5, 2018.2
According to the criminal complaint, Owensby was previously employed by the IRS in Trenton, New Jersey, as an attorney from about March 2010 until April 2015. During his employment with the IRS, Owensby was issued an IRS Pocket Commission, which IRS employees use as a means of identifying themselves to the public when performing their official duties. When Owensby separated from employment with the IRS in April 2015, he was obligated to return all IRS property, including the IRS Pocket Commission. However, Owensby instead told his supervisor that his Pocket Commission had been stolen.3
Between August 2015 and April 2017, Owensby was stopped by law enforcement on three separate occasions for traffic infractions. Each time, Owensby displayed a purported Federal employee identification card to the officers in support of his assertions that he was a Federal agent, an IRS employee, and an IRS tax attorney. One officer pointed out that the Pocket Commission was expired, but Owensby falsely claimed it was still valid.4
Owensby could face a maximum statutory penalty of three years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Additional legal actions are anticipated.
1 Department of Justice, D.N.J. Press Release 18-029 issued Jan. 24, 2018.
2 D.N.J. Crim. Compl. filed Jan. 5, 2018.
3 Id.
4 Id.