In an incident that has stirred both alarm and legal action, 26-year-old Ilya Kukhar has been accused of impersonating ICE agents in Fife, Washington. Reportedly, Kukhar drove a black SUV with fake ICE decals through the parking lot of Emish Market, a Ukrainian grocery store. The stunt, which Kukhar claimed was for a YouTube video, led to his arrest and subsequent charge of second-degree criminal impersonation, to which he pleaded not guilty. According to MyNorthwest, the vehicle was adorned with white "ICE" lettering and a Homeland Security-style decal with a misspelling, "S.U. Department of ICE Deliveries."
Witnesses at the scene described the vehicle circling and blocking access to Emish Market, inducing distress among employees and customers. Fife police, having responded to 911 calls about the suspicious vehicle, found that not only did it bear an "ICE" emblem and pseudo-seal of the Homeland Security Department but also had apparent misspellings.
The retired police SUV, previously owned by Tukwila police and resold to a private buyer, was fitted with the fake decals by Kukhar. After being tracked down by the police, Kukhar stated that he no longer owned the vehicle and that the video of the staged arrest was part of a YouTube skit filmed on private property. FOX 13 Seattle reported that Kukhar described the incident at the Ukrainian market as a minor event where he "allegedly just drove in, just drove around in a couple circles and left."
Despite Kukhar's claims that the actions were part of a filmed skit and that the situation "got blown out of proportion like crazy", the charges pressed reflect the seriousness with which law enforcement is treating the matter. Kukhar's attorney entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf, as recorded in court documents and cited by FOX 13 Seattle. Further complicating matters, there are allegations that occupants of the fake "ICE" vehicle recorded employees and possibly honked the horn in the lot, adding to the perception of intimidation.
