There was an uninvited guest at the Department of Health and Human Services over the weekend. A man acting as a U.S. Secret Service agent breezed through security and demanded to meet Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, according to the Washington Post.
Officials with the Federal Protective Service said Frederick J. Nickerson flashed a fake badge at security and “motioned to the side of his body as if he had a concealed weapon in his waistband,” according to the Post.
Luckily, Sebelius was not there that day and the building was mostly empty due to the New Year’s holiday. But one employee was not only able to spot the 46-year-old imposter, who was sitting in the lobby outside Sebelius’ suite making calls on his cell phone, the worker was able to recognize Nickerson’s voice, the Post reported.
The worker made the connection from remembering phone calls made by Nickerson a month before the security breach, according to the Post. Court papers say he made “irrational demands to see the secretary and other people in charge.”
HHS “has taken immediate corrective actions,” said a representative, including “reinforcing the training of all officers on use of the federal bar list and on procedures that must be followed when non-government employees seek access to the building.”
Nickerson is in custody and has a court hearing on Monday, according to the Post.
