Man Charged With Posing as Federal Agent to Meet Sebelius get access to Secret Service
Two men have been charged with impersonating federal officials for at least two years, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Both Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 36, are charged with False Impersonation of a United States Officer. On Wednesday afternoon, the two were apprehended after a raid on a Southeast building.
The duo is accused of impersonating officers or employees of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since at least February 2020, according to court documents.
“Taherzadeh and Ali are not, in fact, employees of the Department of Homeland Security or any United States government agency,” says the court affidavit.
The report claims Taherzadeh and Ali pretended to be federal agents to a number of people, many of whom are federal law enforcement officers. The two allegedly received official insignias, handguns, and assault rifles, all of which were used by federal law enforcement agents.
FBI agents continue to walk in & out of this apartment bldg on the 900 Bl of 1st St. SE in Navy Yard. People inside say they’ve seen agents on 3 floors in the building. We still don’t know exactly why they are here, but activity here has died down here in the last hour. (@wusa9) pic.twitter.com/Z7iJBW5UTx
— John Henry (@JohnHenryWUSA) April 6, 2022
According to court filings, Taherzadeh offered rent-free apartments, iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a flat-screen television, a case for storing an assault rifle, a generator, and law enforcement paraphernalia to members of the US Secret Service and a DHS employee.
He allegedly promised to use “official government vehicles” and to buy a $2,000 assault rifle for a US Secret Service agent assigned to the First Lady’s security detail. The four agents who received the presents have been placed on administrative leave while an inquiry is conducted.
While investigating an alleged assault involving a USPS letter carrier on March 14, 2022, a United States Postal Inspector (USPIS) spoke with Taherzadeh and Ali.
People living in the apartment complex claimed to have spoken with Taherzadeh and Ali, whom they believed were Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents and may have observed the assault, according to court filings.
The individuals allegedly identified themselves as deputized “special police” with the District of Columbia’s local administration during an interview. According to court filings, the two claimed to be involved in undercover gang investigations as well as investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021 incident at the United States Capitol.
According to court filings, Taherzadeh even went so far as to recruit someone to work for Homeland Security Investigation (HSI).
In court records, an unknown person only referred to as “Witness 1” states that Taherzadeh claimed he had the ability to hire and deputize persons as DHS/HSI workers. Taherzadeh tasked the witness with conducting research on a US government contractor who provided support to the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community as part of the “HSI recruiting process.”
In order to “evaluate Witness 1’s reaction and pain tolerance,” Taherzadeh allegedly told the witness that he would have to shoot them with an air rifle.
They volunteered to be shot because they thought it was part of the recruiting process, according to the witness. Taherzadeh is said to have shot them while Ali was present.
In court records, a second person simply identified as “Witness 2” is named as a USSS Agent currently attached to the First Lady’s protective detail.
According to court documents, Witness 2 saw Taherzadeh on July 4, 2021, who pretended to be an HSI agent and said that Ali was an HSI Analyst. While witnesses indicated Taherzadeh claimed to be a member of a clandestine task force, witnesses said he was open about his apparent position with HSI.
“According to Witness 2, Taherzadeh made it clear that he is the “go-to guy” if a resident needs anything in the building,” says the court affidavit.
Image Credit: WUSA
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