Washington Township Man Charged With Impersonating Federal Officer
Man Accused of Impersonating Federal Officer at Washington Township Home
A man from Washington Township, New Jersey, is facing criminal charges after he allegedly posed as a federal law enforcement officer and entered a home under construction on Strand Avenue during a property check on Wednesday afternoon.
According to police, an officer was dispatched to the Strand Avenue residence after a caller reported that the door to the home had been left open. When the responding officer arrived, the caller, later identified as nearby resident Nicholas Cabral, met the officer at the scene and claimed to be a Homeland Security officer.
Police Describe Marked Vehicle and Armed Entry
Washington Township Police Chief Patrick Gurcsik stated that Cabral arrived in a vehicle that appeared to be an official law enforcement car. Gurcsik said the vehicle was a marked police car equipped with police lights and lettered with "Homeland Security, federal police." Body camera footage from the encounter recorded Cabral asking the officer, "How do you guys operate - contact/cover or what?" and answering "Homeland, yeah" when the officer asked if he was with the agency.
Police said Cabral, who was carrying a gun, entered the Strand Avenue home alongside the Washington Township officer. After checking the property, they determined that a construction crew had left the door open. Chief Gurcsik later noted that the situation raised concerns because it was unusual for Homeland Security to respond to a municipal police call at a residential address in Washington Township.
Verification of Employment and Use of Marked Vehicle
Officers contacted Homeland Security and confirmed that Cabral is not employed by the agency and is not a member of any law enforcement organization. Police stated that Cabral’s wife is a Homeland Security police officer who was away on a 20-day deployment at the time of the incident.
According to police, license plate reader data showed that Cabral used his wife’s marked Homeland Security vehicle multiple times during her deployment. Chief Gurcsik said that one camera image showed the vehicle’s overhead lights activated, indicating that Cabral was using the vehicle in what appeared to be a response mode.
Charges, Seized Firearm, and Public Request
Authorities have charged Cabral with impersonating a police officer and possessing a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Police said he held a permit to carry a firearm, but that permit has since been revoked. Officers seized his gun as part of the investigation.
Attempts to contact Cabral by phone and at his residence were unsuccessful, according to police. Chief Gurcsik stated that the matter is serious for officer safety and public safety in Washington Township.
Police are asking anyone who may have interacted with Cabral while he was using the marked Homeland Security vehicle to contact Washington Township authorities. Homeland Security has not responded to requests for comment regarding the incident.