June 23, 2025
Provided image/Philadelphia District Attorney's Office
Philly prosecutors announced felony and misdemeanor charges against Robert Rosado, who allegedly posed as an ICE agent to rob a Mayfair car repair shop.
The man who impersonated an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent to intimidate the employees of a Northeast Philly auto repair center — and steal about $1,000 — will face numerous felony and misdemeanor charges, prosecutors said Monday.
Robert Rosado, 54, allegedly donned a badge, radio, holstered handgun and tactical vest reading "Security Enforcement Agent" when he entered the mechanic shop on the 6500 block of Harbison Avenue on June 8. Identifying himself as an immigration agent, he reportedly told workers that he would be taking undocumented employees into custody. According to Philly prosecutors, he then zip-tied the hands of a woman in the shop and took about $1,000 before fleeing the scene in an unmarked white van.
Law enforcement obtained the license plate information after collecting surveillance footage from the Mayfair neighborhood. They discovered the car was registered to Rosado, and later connected him to two properties. In subsequent searches of those properties, investigators found a fake badge, zip ties, black radio, holster and airsoft gun.
Rosado was charged with robbery, assault, false imprisonment and other crimes Monday following his apprehension June 18.
"The policies coming from the current administration in Washington, D.C., are making it easier for U.S. citizens to commit crimes against marginalized people, such as immigrants," District Attorney Larry Krasner said. "I consider this case to be more serious than just a robbery. This is a crime against an entire community of people. My office will prosecute this case vigorously and we intend to seek a higher sentence for this defendant due to the nature of his crimes."
Rosado's preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 8. He is being held on $800,000 bail.
As Krasner acknowledged in his Monday news conference, the case is the second in recent months involving a suspect impersonating an ICE agent. In February, two men wearing shirts reading "police" and "ICE" entered a business on the Temple University campus and caused a "disruption" while a third person filmed. According to Temple police, one of the trio was a student and was suspended.
Krasner suggested that the tendency of ICE agents to mask their faces and obscure identifying information has helped enable these crimes.
"A climate has been created in which it is hard for people to tell the difference between a fake ICE agent and a real ICE agent," he said at the conference.
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