Dodge Center man pleads guilty to two charges in federal court

Emily Cutts, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·2 min read

Jan. 21—ST. PAUL — The Dodge Center man who was federally charged with impersonating a federal agent pleaded guilty Friday morning, Jan. 21, 2022, in U.S. District Court.

Reyel Devon Simmons pleaded guilty to charges of impersonating an officer of the U.S. and being a felon in possession of firearms. Court records do not list a sentencing date.

Simmons was indicted by a U.S. District Court grand jury in October on a total five charges including being a felon in possession of explosives, possession of unregistered firearms and possession of an unauthorized badge. He was arrested at his workplace in Shakopee, Minn., on Sept. 20, 2021, and has been held at the Sherburne County Jail since then.

Simmons' arrest came after the FBI received a tip in August that he had been impersonating a federal agent with the Department of Homeland Security and posting videos of himself on social media under the false name "Rey Reeves."

According to court documents, Simmons is not and has never been employed by the Department of Homeland Security. Minnesota Department of Labor records do not show that Simmons is, or has been, employed by the military or any law enforcement agency. Investigators also filed an official records request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to confirm that Simmons never worked for FEMA.

When investigators arrested Simmons, he reportedly had a "go bag" that "bore lettering and insignia suggesting it was issued by the Department of Homeland Security," the amended complaint states. Inside the bag, agents found a handgun and three loaded magazines as well as law enforcement and military accessories, including a fake badge.

At his Dodge Center residence, agents seized seven firearms that were found in a safe room or bunker that could only be accessed through a hidden doorway in the storage area of the basement, the complaint states.

Simmons has previously been charged in Colorado for impersonating a police officer. Court records indicate he is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions.