FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — An man accused of posing as an FBI agent at an active Fairfax County polling place nearly two years ago — while wearing a pellet gun resembling a pistol — was arrested Monday and has been indicted on two federal charges, according to court documents.
A federal grand jury charged Alex Nguyen with impersonating a federal officer and acting as such, as well as possessing imitation federal law enforcement credentials.
An indictment and prosecution motion were filed on Thursday and relate to an incident that occurred on Nov. 5, 2024 — Election Day — in Great Falls. The charges were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The FBI began investigating Nguyen for allegedly impersonating an agent at an active election polling location, prosecutors wrote in a motion seeking to keep the indictment sealed until his arrest.
After the incident, Nguyen admitted that he presented election workers with fake FBI credentials and a fake FBI badge, according to prosecutors. The government also said Nguyen wore a pellet gun designed to resemble a Glock pistol.
The court filings do not identify the polling place or describe Nguyen's interactions with election workers beyond the presentation of the badge and credentials.
The indictment alleges that Nguyen falsely claimed to be an FBI special agent and acted in that capacity. He is also accused of knowingly possessing an imitation FBI badge and imitation FBI credentials.
Prosecutors said their investigation found that Nguyen had posed as a law enforcement officer in other jurisdictions as recently as July 2026. The filing does not identify those jurisdictions or describe other incidents in detail.
Prosecutors initially asked the court to seal the indictment, arguing that disclosing the charges could jeopardize an ongoing investigation and interfere with efforts to locate and arrest Nguyen.
A federal arrest warrant was issued Thursday. The warrant return says an FBI special agent arrested Nguyen Monday in Annandale.
Nguyen appeared later in the day before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis in Alexandria. Court minutes show he was informed of his rights, the charges and the potential penalties.
Federal prosecutors did not seek to detain Nguyen while the case is pending. Davis ordered him released on a personal recognizance bond with several conditions.
Nguyen must remain under the supervision of the court's Pretrial Services Office and continue or actively seek employment. He must remain at his current residence unless Pretrial Services or the court approves a move.
His travel is restricted to the Raleigh, North Carolina, federal court district and the Eastern District of Virginia, according to the release order. Travel between the two areas must be along the most direct route.
Nguyen may not possess firearms, destructive devices or other weapons. The order specifies that the restriction includes BB guns, pellet guns, imitation guns and other dangerous weapons.
He is also prohibited from possessing law enforcement badges, imitations of badges, law enforcement clothing, clothing bearing law enforcement insignia or imitations of such items.
Nguyen must report any contact with law enforcement, including questioning, arrests or traffic stops, to his supervising officer as soon as possible.
Nguyen did not have counsel listed at his initial hearing. Assistant Federal Public Defender Sean Mitchell appeared as the duty attorney, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Morgan represented the government.
The court records do not indicate that Nguyen has entered a plea.
An indictment contains allegations and is not evidence of guilt. Nguyen is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
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