Federal Agent Impersonator Receives Prison Sentence

FBI says Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali offered apartments and gifts to Secret Service officers
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 8, 2022 8:00 AM CDT
Updated Dec 4, 2023 5:25 PM CST
FBI: 2 Fake Federal Officers Tricked Secret Service
The affidavit to support the arrest of Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali is photographed Wednesday, April 6, 2022.   (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
UPDATE Dec 4, 2023 5:25 PM CST

Arian Taherzadeh, who was charged with pretending to be a federal agent and offering gifts and free apartments to Secret Service officers, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison. He was indicted in 2022 along with Haider Ali, who received a prison term of more than five years in August, the AP reports. Taherzadeh had pleaded guilty to conspiracy as well as two District of Columbia offenses. He also was ordered to pay restitution totaling more than $700,000. His lawyer has said Taherzadeh provided the luxury apartments and gifts not to compromise the agents, but because he wanted to be friends with them.

Apr 8, 2022 8:00 AM CDT

The FBI arrested two men this week in DC a strange case that currently has way more questions than answers. Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, are accused of impersonating federal officers with the Department of Homeland Security while cozying up to members of the Secret Service, reports the New York Times. They allegedly provided the Secret Service members with gifts—swanky penthouse apartments, televisions, drones, surveillance systems, etc., per the AP. Their alleged motive? Unclear, at least according to what has been released so far, reports the Washington Post. Also unclear is where they got their money, the merchandise they allegedly doled out, and the weapons in their possession.

"Taherzadeh and Ali have attempted to use their false and fraudulent affiliation with DHS to ingratiate themselves with members of federal law enforcement and the defense community," wrote the FBI's David Elias in an affidavit. Both are currently in custody, and four members of the Secret Service—apparently duped by the pair's phony credentials—have been placed on administrative leave. Authorities even specified a link that goes alarmingly high: Taherzadeh allegedly offered to buy an assault rifle for a Secret Service agent who worked on first lady Jill Biden's security detail. Prosecutors say the men are US citizens but have visas showing travel to Pakistan and Iran, per the AP. (More Secret Service stories.)

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