Ex-NYPD officer Atickul Islam pleads guilty to impersonating ICE agent to threaten woman who rebuffed him romantically

A former NYPD officer pleaded guilty on Wednesday morning to impersonating a federal ICE agent to intimidate and threaten an immigrant woman from Queens and her family.

Atickul Islam, 30, an eight-year veteran of the department who attained the rank of sergeant, appeared before U.S. District Judge Dora Irizarry to admit to sending multiple text messages on March 29, 2025, from his own phone and another phone to a woman who had romantically rebuffed him.

"ICE will come get you and your family and you will always live poor," Islam confessed to writing the victim. "Matter of fact I will make the phone call myself."

He followed up with a message that said, "Since I know where you guys live do not worry enjoy the stay for as long as it lasts."

Then, according to federal prosecutors, he sent another text from a separate phone identifying himself as "James W. Anderson," the ICE "field office director" for New York City, and instructing the woman and her family to report to an immigration center or face legal consequences, federal prosecutor Russell Noble told the court.

The officer sent the text in the first few months after President Donald Trump initiated his aggressive immigration crackdown.

Hours after the threats, Islam, who holds a master's degree in criminal justice from John Jay College, texted the woman again to apologize for his threats, defense lawyer John Arlia said.

The exchange got back to Islam's bosses at the NYPD, who said they referred the allegation to federal prosecutors.

Islam appeared in court on Wednesday morning with a full beard, a gray suit and a tie. His leg shook nervously under the defense table as he pleaded guilty.

"I sent a text message impersonating a field agent of ICE," he told the court. "I did it via cellphone."

He and his attorney declined to comment after the hearing. 

According to court testimony, he retired from the NYPD on Sept. 25.

The crime of impersonating a federal officer can carry a punishment of up to 3 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; however, the prosecutors said that they would likely suggest a sentence between no time and 6 months.

Because Islam is now convicted of a felony, the judge instructed him to surrender any firearms registered in his name and to ensure that there are no guns in his home. He's also barred from holding a law enforcement job in the future.

"Instead of upholding the law and serving members of his community, Atickul Islam used lies and the threat of deportation to take revenge on a woman in his personal life," Joseph Nocella, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. "We expect law enforcement officers of every rank to act with honesty and integrity. As demonstrated by today’s plea, our office will not tolerate any officer who would use the threat of federal law enforcement to carry out a personal vendetta."

Islam remains free on $25,000 bail and is barred from contacting the victim or traveling to the block where she lives.

He is due back in court on March 27 for sentencing.