Legality surrounding impersonating a Federal Employee
<p>I was interested in the legality of impersonating a Federal Agent/Officer, and upon a Google Search it only seems to be illegal if you try to obtain something of value in such a persona. There are still lots of situations left uncovered.</p>

<ul>
<li>Gaining access to a (non-government) centre via impersonation</li>
<li>Convincing a person to stop questioning your actions via impersonation</li>
<li>Asking/ordering a person to do something (i.e. ordering them to sound a fire alarm) via impersonation</li>
<li>Exercising power over other Government employees in such impersonation</li>
<li>Instructing people on what to do in an emergency</li>
<li>Instructing people to evacuate/leave the area (assuming there is a legitimate emergency)</li>
</ul>

<p>Let's assume in these situations that said person is impersonating an <strong>employee</strong> not a <strong>law enforcement agent</strong>.</p>

<p>What would be the legality of the above points?</p>

<p>Firs, at law, all of the things you name are "something of value", the ability to go places and do things you normally couldn't go or do is valuable.</p>

<p>However it doesn't matter. The actual crime is <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/912" rel="nofollow noreferrer">18 U.S. Code § 912 - Officer or employee of the United States</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Whoever falsely assumes or pretends to be an officer or employee acting under the authority of the United States or any department, agency or officer thereof, <strong>and acts as such</strong>, <strong><em>or</em></strong> in such pretended character demands or obtains any money, paper, document, or thing of value, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Simply acting as an officer or employee is enough.</p>

united-states