The FBI’s Charlotte Division is asking anyone who crossed paths with former Raleigh Police Officer Tremale Cogdell to speak up, as federal agents work to identify potential victims and witnesses in a civil-rights investigation. Investigators say Cogdell may have targeted women while on duty, and this new outreach follows state criminal charges filed last fall. The request comes in the wake of an on-duty allegation tied to a September 2025 traffic stop, as reported by FBI.
Federal notice and online form
The FBI has posted a public notice and created a short online questionnaire for people who believe they were coerced or who have information, stating that victims’ identities will remain confidential, according to the FBI. The notice says Cogdell may have targeted women while on duty between May 2023 and September 2025, and that responses could help determine whether federal civil-rights laws were violated. The questionnaire also links to victim resources from the Department of Justice and RAINN.
State charges and Raleigh police response
Tremale Cogdell, who served with the Raleigh Police Department, was arrested in October 2025 on state charges that include obstruction of justice and alleged sexual misconduct while on duty and was later terminated by RPD, as reported by ABC11. Court documents connect the first accusation to a crash investigation in Raleigh in the early hours of Sept. 12, 2025. The Wake County District Attorney’s office has said it will cooperate with federal investigators as the cases are reviewed.
Details in search-warrant filings
Search-warrant filings reviewed by local reporters allege Cogdell told a crash victim, “If you let me see you naked, then you won't have to go to jail,” then drove her to his home in a police vehicle where a sexual encounter occurred, according to WRAL. The filings say investigators seized Cogdell’s phone and uncovered earlier complaints about inappropriate contact, and attorneys for alleged victims say the incidents share troubling similarities. One lawyer told reporters he now represents two women who say they were victimized and believes there may be more.
How to reach investigators
The FBI's intake form asks for basic contact information, dates of contact, and whether Cogdell allegedly solicited any act in exchange for dropping or not filing charges, and it lets respondents ask for a follow-up call from an agent, according to the FBI. The bureau stresses that responses are voluntary, but could be valuable to both federal and local investigators. The page also lists victim-support resources and explains how the information provided will be protected.
What a federal civil-rights probe means
A federal civil-rights investigation means agents are examining whether alleged conduct by someone acting “under color of law” could amount to a deprivation of constitutional rights, a crime the Justice Department prosecutes under 18 U.S.C. § 242 and one that can carry serious penalties depending on the conduct and harm, according to the Justice Department. Any federal charges would be separate from the state counts Cogdell already faces, and the Wake County District Attorney’s office has said it will work with federal prosecutors, per ABC11.
What comes next
The Raleigh Police Department said it values the federal partnership but declined to comment further while the matter is pending, and attorneys for alleged victims have signaled that civil claims may follow. The FBI has asked anyone who has information or believes they may have been affected to complete the intake form. Local reporters and advocates say outreach like this can make it easier for survivors to come forward and for investigators to determine whether additional crimes took place, as discussed in coverage by WRAL.
