Judge dismisses charge against North Dakota man accused of impersonating ICE officer

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WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota judge on Friday dismissed a charge against a man accused of impersonating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, leading to the improper removal of a man from jail.

State District Judge Kirsten Sjue dismissed the misdemeanor count of impersonating officials against Shane Al Randall of Williston. She ordered his iPhone and $3,000 cash bond returned to him.

The judge’s order, which doesn’t specify why the case was dismissed, came during a hearing about the prosecutor's motion to dismiss the case.

Williams County Assistant State's Attorney Nathan Madden had filed to drop the charge in late February, citing “prosecutorial discretion.”

The Associated Press left a phone message and emailed Madden for comment.

Phone and email messages also were left with Randall’s attorney. Randall was charged in February and pleaded not guilty.

Court documents said jail staff of the Williams County Correctional Center in Williston had told an inmate that ICE was coming to pick him up. The inmate then called Randall “to have him come pick him up,” authorities said.

Randall arrived, and staff released the inmate to him, court papers said.

Jail staff soon learned that Randall was not an ICE agent when the real officer arrived, Williams County Sheriff Verlan Kvande previously said. Officers subsequently found and arrested Randall and the inmate.

A phone message was left for the sheriff.