By Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – Two men are facing criminal charges in connection to allegedly accepting rent-free apartments as gifts from the U.S. Secret Service.

A day before the U.S. Justice Department announced it had arrested two suspects Arian Taherzadeh (and Haider Ali), in Washington, the Secret Service made the announcement. The Secret Service claimed that the suspects made false statements to U.S. law enforcement officials about their actions. A postal inspector is investigating the march assault on a letter carrier.

According to the criminal case, Taherzadeh had pretended to be special agents starting at least February 2020. Ali offered Secret Service personnel and homeland security employees a range of gifts including rent-free apartments at $40,000/year, surveillance system, an iPhone, a drone and flat-screen televisions. A storage container for an assault rifle was also provided.

FBI claimed that Taherzadeh had offered to buy an assault weapon for an agent protecting First Lady Jill Biden. He also told government officials that they could access what he called “official government vehicles.”

According to the Justice Department they attempted to recruit one individual to their “task force” which claimed to be an official DHS task force.

In a written statement, an FBI agent stated that Ali and Taherzadeh required that an Airsoft rifle be used to shoot the applicant. This was done in order to assess their pain tolerance and response. After being shot, the applicant received information that their job was under consideration. Also, the applicant was assigned to research an individual who provided intelligence and support for the Department of Defense.

Officials said that four Secret Service members were on administrative leave as of Monday.

According to the agency, “All persons involved in this matter have been placed on administrative leave” and cannot access Secret Service equipment or facilities.

Officials said that the men were part of an undercover gang and investigation into the attack on the U.S. Capitol in Jan. 20, 2021.

According to officials, the postal inspector learned that residents of the apartment building believed Taherzadeh was Ali and had established surveillance. Officials added that residents believed they could access their cellphones to access their personal data and were able to access their phones.

Two suspects will appear before a federal court in Washington on Thursday.