Police say Andy Kwok of Delmar posed as federal border agent in Levittown
Andy Kwok, 53, of Delmar, which is near Albany, leaves Nassau County police headquarters in Mineola for his arraignment Thursday. Credit: Howard Schnapp
An upstate man faces state charges and federal scrutiny after he was spotted posing as a uniformed customs and border protection agent while eating at a Levittown restaurant, Nassau County police said Thursday.
About 11:20 a.m. Wednesday, Nassau police were alerted to a man dressed as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent eating at the K City Hot Pot and Sushi restaurant on Hempstead Turnpike. The man had what appeared to be a firearm holstered to his hip, police said. The tip came from an actual Customs Border Patrol officer, who had spotted the man and became suspicious, police said. That agency is one of several divisions of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security charged with border control and questions of illegal immigration.
Nassau police arrived and arrested Andy Kwok, 53, of upstate Delmar, without incident, after confirming he was not a law enforcement officer for any police agency. Kwok had with him a fraudulent identification card with a photo ID, police said.
Kwok was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument. He was arraigned in Nassau District Court in Hempstead, where he pleaded not guilty and was released on non-monetary conditions.
Nassau detectives were working with investigators from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the case, police said. Those who suspect they were defrauded by Kwok should call Nassau police or contact Homeland Security Investigations at 877-4-HSI-TIP.
