Secret Service novice pleads guilty while posing as a federal agent

WASHINGTON — A Washington, D.C. man accused of participating in a multi-year scheme to pose as afederal agent pleaded guilty Monday to charges stemming from the ruse.

Arian Taherzadeh, 40, is cooperating with U.S. Special created a private law enforcement and investigative service called the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Office of Personnel Management, and other federal agencies, according to a petition filed in the United States District Court in Washington. pretending to be a federal agent.

As part of this plan, which the Justice Department said began his December 2018 and lasted until April 2022, Taherzadeh used false affiliations with the federal government to Recruited people into U.S. Special Police and scammed owners. Court filings revealed that he had leased three luxury apartments and was in arrears on rent.

Federal prosecutors have found that Taherzadeh, co-defendant Haider Ali, and an unnamed individual also have false allegations with the Department of Homeland Security and other US agencies. Using partnerships, this includes generous gifts valued at over $90,000 to Secret Service employees.

Taherzadeh and Ali, 36, were arrested in April for conduct stemming from the scheme,Ali pleaded not guiltyTaherzadeh on Monday109} Pled guilty to one count of federal conspiracy and two counts of DC Act violations (illegally possessing a high-capacity ammunition feeder and voyeurism). 

According to the petition, Taherzadeh and Ali told members of law enforcement that they were agents or special agents of the U.S. Special Forces, which the U.S. government or It had no connection with the District of Columbia. 

Taherzadeh and Ali were forced to act as law enforcement agents and, by making up stories about their backgrounds as part of the scheme, were sent to federal tasks. Allegedly tried to recruit people into the Force. According to judicial documents, Taherzadeh claimed he was a former Army Ranger,  former U.S. Air Force Marshal, a Department of Homeland Security special agent, and a member of multi-jurisdictional task forces. 

He also falsely claimed to have been involved in past incidents involving child exploitation and sting operations involving confidential informants. Federal prosecutors allege Ali worked for the Department of Homeland Security or the Secret Service and had special assignments at the White House. Ali also participated in the arrest of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán, whose family was "Middle Eastern royalty", he was a model for Calvin Klein, and whose next of kin is Pakistani intelligence. 

According to court filings, Ali obtained through his work as an auto service driver to strengthen his case and appear to be a legitimate federal employee. We used photographs of prominent government officials.

As part of this plan, the Department of Justice will grant Taherzadeh and Ali multiple apartment leases across his three different complexes in Washington to serve as U.S. special police, law enforcement personas, and fictitious individuals. said it was able to obtain it using a federal supervisory officer. According to filings, they billed the complex from more than $800,000 in outstanding rent, fees and parking.

At the Sonnet apartment complex in Northwest D.C., Taherzadeh and another person claiming to be federal law enforcement had accessed video surveillance from the building and parked in an unauthorized location. 

Another complex in Southeast D.C. At the Crossing, prosecutors found Taherzadeh carrying an unlicensed Glock pistol with a high-capacity ammunition supply, numerous ammunition, surveillance equipment, tactical equipment, clothing with police insignia, and a door-breaking rig. said it was. 

As with the Sonnet, Taherzadeh and Ali allegedly used fake law enforcement personas to gain access to security footage of The Crossing and to obtain parking spaces. I'm here. Spots were not only used for private vehicles, but were given to members of the Secret Service for personal use. , installed surveillance cameras outside and inside rooms, including bedrooms, and used them to record sexual activity with women. He then showed the explicit video to a third party, federal prosecutors said.

Secret Taherzadeh's false identification to his service claimed he was a special agent in the Department of Homeland Security gang his unit in the spring of 2020, according to judicial documents. It started when  He told a Secret Service special agent that he was a member of a covert operations unit, according to court documents.

Federal prosecutors have said that Taherzadeh and Ali were "beloved by [Secret Service] employees because they provided cover for [Secret Service] employees and facilitated their impersonation as federal law enforcement officers." I tried," he said.

In one instance, Taherzadeh gave the wife of a Secret Service employee what she claimed to be a  government vehicle, and the employee and his wife had a generator and a survival vehicle for her. gave me a backpack. He gave another penthouse apartment free of charge for his year, and his third employee in the Secret Service a penthouse apartment, a drone, a gun he locker, and a pelican his case.

According to federal prosecutors, members of the Secret Service used iPhones, surveillance systems, flat-screen televisions and computer monitors as part of an effort to get along with them. received from someone. They also offered to purchase assault rifles for agents assigned to the Secret Service details of First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, according to court records 150}

According to judicial documents, the gift was offered during the course of Taherzadeh's friendship with three Secret Service  employees, and "enhanced their relationship." has not yet set a sentencing date, but is expected to appear in court again in November. His four Secret Service employees (two agents and two uniformed department officers) also died in April after being duped by Taherzadeh and Ali. } You have been suspended.