PROVIDENCE — A Warwick man who impersonated a federal agent and falsely claimed that he could link a gas station owner to Islamic terrorists was sentenced Friday to serve eight months in prison followed by two months in home confinement.

U.S. District Judge William E. Smith also ordered George Tabora, 45, to perform 300 hours of community service.

In September, Tabora pleaded guilty to extortion and impersonating a federal officer to obtain money. Had the case gone to trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker said the government would have proven that Tabora posed as a Homeland Security officer and claimed that he could link the gas station owner to al-Qaida, the Islamic terrorist organization.

Tabora, who identified himself as Agent Carl Johnson, demanded $25,000 and threatened to go after the station owner’s family and send him to prison.

In response, the gas station owner, who is Middle Eastern, turned to the Warwick Police Department. The police learned that Tabora’s wife worked at the gas station.

The Warwick police launched an investigation and Tabora continued to demand money in exchange for the federal “file” on the gas station owner. At the direction of the police, the gas station owner agreed to stuff $15,000 into a drainpipe outside a trailer next to Tabora’s mobile home on Centerville Road.

On May 16, the Warwick police arranged for the money to be placed in the drainpipe. They waited while Tabora’s teenage son emerged from the family trailer and grabbed the cash. Detectives confronted the teenager and he admitted that his father had asked him to retrieve the money.

Tabora was arrested and he admitted making the threatening calls. Investigators later learned that there is no Homeland Security agent named Carl Johnson.

“This should be a warning to anyone who thinks they can impersonate an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer and get away with it,” said Bruce M. Foucart, special agent-in-charge of ICE’s Office of Investigations in Boston. “The public should have absolute faith that ICE officers are performing legitimate federal law enforcement duties.”

Tabora is scheduled to report to a yet-to-be determined federal prison March 10.

bmalinow@projo.com