EXCLUSIVE – A Jamaican national working as a reserve police officer in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, has been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly attempting to purchase a firearm despite being in the country illegally.
According to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Boston, 33-year-old Jon Luke Evans was taken into custody on July 25 in Biddeford. The arrest was made in coordination with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) after Evans raised red flags during an attempted gun purchase that revealed questions about his immigration status.
Federal authorities confirmed that Evans originally entered the U.S. lawfully through Miami International Airport on September 24, 2023, under a visa that permitted only a short stay until October 1, 2023. However, he failed to leave as required, remaining in the country without legal authorization.
ICE reports that Evans told investigators he intended to use the firearm for his duties as a reserve officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department. His employment, however, has triggered scrutiny over how an undocumented immigrant was able to not only gain law enforcement employment but potentially gain access to department-issued firearms.
“This case raises serious concerns,” said Patricia H. Hyde, acting field office director for ICE’s ERO Boston. “We will continue working to ensure that individuals who violate immigration laws and pose potential threats to public safety are held accountable.”
Evans was hired by the Old Orchard Beach Police Department in May 2024 as a seasonal reserve officer, undergoing a standard background check, physical exam, and law enforcement training, according to a department spokesperson. His documents, including an Employment Authorization Document with an expiration date listed as March 2030, were submitted to and cleared through the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) E-Verify system.
Police Chief Elise Chard expressed alarm at the situation, stating, “Our department and our community relied on the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program to ensure we were meeting our obligations… We are distressed and deeply concerned about this apparent error on the part of the federal government.”
Maine is among approximately a dozen U.S. states that allow non-citizens with valid work authorization to serve in certain law enforcement roles. In Old Orchard Beach, reserve officers typically handle seasonal community patrols and are not permitted to carry personal weapons or take department-issued firearms home.
In light of the arrest, Evans’ probationary employment status is under review, and an internal investigation is underway to reassess hiring procedures. Chief Chard confirmed, “We take our legal responsibilities very seriously. We intend to investigate this matter thoroughly and determine what additional steps may be necessary moving forward.”
Evans’ arrest follows a similar incident earlier this year. In April 2025, ICE arrested Gratien Milandou Wamba, a 32-year-old Congolese national employed as a corrections officer in Falmouth, Maine. Wamba was also detained for immigration violations after allegedly attempting to buy a firearm illegally.
“Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston field office arrested Gratien Milandou Wamba, an illegally present, 32-year-old citizen of Congo,” said ICE spokesperson James Covington at the time.
ICE has reiterated its intent to intensify enforcement efforts across New England, focusing particularly on individuals unlawfully present in the U.S. and working in public safety roles.
