‘I will make the phone call myself’: An NYPD sergeant threatened a woman who rejected him with ICE, then posed as ICE’s New York director

Atickul Islam has pleaded guilty in federal court to falsely impersonating a high-level federal immigration official. The 29-year-old former New York City police sergeant entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Dora L. Irizarry in Brooklyn, according to the Daily News. The charge carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. As part of his agreement with the Department of Justice, Islam resigned from the New York City Police Department just five days before his court appearance.

He is now barred from applying for another position with the NYPD or any other law enforcement agency. Prosecutors explained that Islam used the threat of deportation to harass a woman and her family. The woman had rebuffed his romantic advances, law enforcement sources told the Daily News, and prosecutors described the conduct as an attempt to “take revenge” on her. She was notified of the plea hearing and was not present, per the court docket.

The scheme started in the spring of 2025. According to federal prosecutors, Islam texted the woman from his personal phone, “ICE will come get you and your family and you will always live poor. Matter of fact I will make the phone call myself.” He also indicated that he knew where the family lived. About four hours later, he contacted the woman from an unknown number and falsely identified himself as the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s New York Field Office.

He texted her as himself before he texted her as ICE

He told her she was receiving an “official notice” as someone had reported her to authorities. Prosecutors said he also went by the name James W. Anderson. To make the threat seem real, Islam presented the message as an official ICE directive. This fabricated notice ordered the woman and her family to report to an ICE facility in New York City by April 15, 2025. It also included warnings that failing to appear would result in further legal action and enforcement measures.

Islam was first arrested in November 2025 and pleaded not guilty. He was released on a $25,000 secured bond while the case moved through the legal system. However, he changed his plea after months of discovery and several adjourned status conferences.

Following the hearing, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. condemned his conduct, saying that instead of upholding the law, the former sergeant had used the fear of deportation to carry out a personal vendetta. Personal disputes that turn into threats can bring criminal charges, as in the case of a Pennsylvania woman who allegedly threatened her neighbor with a pitchfork.

Islam used “fake authority to target and intimidate a victim for personal reasons,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office. The FBI has issued warnings to law enforcement agencies regarding criminals who exploit the high public profile of ICE to target immigrant communities. The bulletin cited five incidents in 2025 across New York, North Carolina, and Florida involving people accused of posing as ICE agents.

The alleged crimes included a kidnapping, a sexual assault, and a restaurant robbery. Islam’s case differs as he targeted someone he knew personally. However, the core tactic remains the same, as he relied on the perceived authority of immigration enforcement to create fear and control his target. Islam is expected to be sentenced on March 24, 2027, and could face up to three years in prison, with the final sentence to be determined by the court.