2 men who posed as agents shipped evidence out of apartment
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Photo of the affidavit supporting Arian Taherzadeh’s arrest is taken Wednesday, April 6, 2022. Two men were charged by federal prosecutors for allegedly posing to be federal agents and giving away apartments and other items to U.S. Secret Service Agents, one of whom was part of the security detail assigned to the First Lady. They were among more than 12 FBI agents who entered a luxurious apartment building in Southeast Washington Wednesday night.
AP| AP
Two men were arrested after they posed as Department of Homeland Security agents and attempted to transport evidence from their apartment to seek the assistance of federal law enforcement agents. They were tipped off about an investigation according to a memo that provided additional evidence that was believed to warrant detention without bail.
Arian Takherzadeh, aged 40, and Haider Ai, 36, were taken into custody Wednesday. They are accused of impersonating DHS agents in Washington, D.C. Joshua Rothstein, Assistant U.S. attorney, said that additional conspiracy charges could be brought against them.
According to the latest filing, Taherzadeh had applied for an armed Special Police Officer (or SPO) and was rejected in March 2019. This was due to his previous misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. Taherzadeh received a Commission as an Unarmed Special Police Officer (SPO) later, but this expired after he didn’t provide supporting documents for relicensing the SPO in December 2021.
Ali also sought an SPO commission in October 2020. He was rejected due to prior arrests for assault of family members, malicious wounding, and abduction by Force.
According to the FBI, both men allegedly pretended that they were DHS agents and carried firearms and insignias. This was from at least February 2020. According to the affidavit, the men pretended they were DHS agents in order to gain favor with federal law enforcement personnel and defense officials.
Even though they were SPOs licensed, prosecutors said their possession of and use of guns, ammunition and other law enforcement tools, such as dynamic entry kits, “far exceeds” the SPO licensing. This further demonstrated their lies and dangerousness.
The prosecution claimed they spoke with a former U.S. Marine who was being recruited by the duo based on their fake DHS credentials. According to the unnamed witness, he witnessed illegal weapons being displayed in Taherzadeh’s presence. This included an AR-15/M4 auto rifle with an illegal suppressor as well an AR pistol.
According to the filing, neither of them had a permit to possess a firearm beyond their home. Officials also found illegal high capacity magazines.
After Taherzadeh learned of the government investigation, prosecutors claim Ali and he attempted to conceal evidence through shipping goods out of their apartment. During their investigation, law enforcement officers found UPS labels as well as shipping materials. This raised concerns that the evidence might have been hidden from the premises.
Prosecutors stated that their fears were true.
A United States Secret Service uniformed officer division received on Thursday a UPS Next Day Air package with a return label. This returned the parcel to Ali Taherzadeh, who was in his apartment complex. There were three ammunition magazines in the package, and one firearm case included three. The package contained four cigars and a case for cigars.
According to the filing, “This fits with the previous practice of giving federal law enforcement agents gifts and valuable items. It suggests that Taherzadeh/or Ali may have sent the package in an attempt corruptly to enlist him to secrete evidence.”
Prosecutors claimed Friday that the men were “compromisedSecret Service employees were sent to Jill Biden’s protection. Their duties included “lavishing” the White House with gift-free apartments.
— CNBC’s Dan Mangan contributed to this report.
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