'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Fake Secret Service agents Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali were arrested earlier this week for allegedly impersonating as Department of Homeland Security officials since February 2020. The two men were caught following a raid on their Washington D.C. apartment on Wednesday, April 6.
Prosecutors have claimed that the duo used their false identities to “ingratiate themselves with members of federal law enforcement and the defense community,” which also included a Secret Service agent associated with the detail of First Lady Jill Biden.
Several of Taherzadeh and Ali’s targets included law enforcement and defense officials who resided in the same complex as the duo. Nearly four members of the Secret Service have been placed on administrative leave while waiting for further investigation amid the ongoing impersonation case.
Everything about Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali and their Secret Service impersonation scheme
Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali are the two men who were recently arrested for allegedly impersonating as officials of the Department of Homeland Security. The duo have each been charged with one count each of false impersonation of an officer of the United States, a felony offense.
Prior to their arrest, the men lived in the luxurious Crossing Apartments in Washington, D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood and told residents that they were the “go-to-guys” in the building. FBI Agents claimed that the pair spent over two years “pretending to be various officers and employees of the U.S. government.”
Officials later discovered that several of the residents of the building were members of the Secret Service, DHS, FBI, Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy. Taherzadeh reportedly pretended to be a member of the Department of Homeland Security and often provided other residents with “gifts of favor.”
FBI Special Agent David Elias mentioned in an affidavit that Taherzadeh’s presents included “rent-free apartments, iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, flat-screen television, a case for storing an assault rifle, a generator, and law enforcement paraphernalia.”
At one point, Taherzadeh allegedly offered to buy a gun for a Secret Service agent who was assigned to Jill Biden’s protective detail. Residents also noted that the duo had access to their neighbors’ surveillance cameras, cell phones and other personal information.
The suspects first came under scrutiny after a U.S. Postal Inspector responded to reports of an assault involving a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier at Crossing Apartments.
Both Taherzadeh and Ali appeared as witnesses in the case and told authorities they were HSI (Homeland Security Investigators) special agents involved in the undercover investigation of “gang-related probes” as well as the 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.
An investigation into Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali’s Secret Service impersonation scheme began on March 14. The first witness told officials that the duo wanted to recruit him to serve on the DHS task force and wanted him to be shot with an Airsoft rifle as part of the “HSI recruiting process”:
“As part of the ‘recruitment process’ Taherzadeh and Ali required that the ‘applicant’ be shot with an Airsoft rifle to evaluate their pain tolerance and reaction. Subsequent to being shot, the applicant was informed that their hiring was in process.”
The witness also alleged that Taherzadeh often carried a concealed firearm, a DHS Investigations (HSI) “confidential casefile,” a badge and other credentials to prove his position in law enforcement.
The second witness, a Secret Service agent, said that Taherzadeh sent the agent several photos of his HSI training wearing “police tactical gear” and loaned the agent’s wife an alleged “government vehicle.”
He also gave a gun holder and offered to buy a weapon for the agent. The FBI later reported that Taherzadeh’s pictures were stock photos from the internet.
Another Secret Service agent, a third witness in the case, reportedly lived in a rent-free penthouse provided by Taherzadeh from February 2021 until January 2022. The agent also said that he received emails from Taherzadeh's DHS email, but officials reported that the account was fake.
A fourth witness, a document analysis expert with DHS-HIS, said she spoke to her supervisors but could not confirm Taherzadeh's position within DHS. The latter allegedly explained that his identity was concealed for being “undercover.”
The witness also told the FBI that she saw “a significant amount of law enforcement paraphernalia, including SWAT vests, a large safe, computers, a high-powered telescope and internal surveillance cameras” in Taherzadeh's apartment.
The final witness, another U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to protect the White House, also lived in a rent-free apartment provided by Taherzadeh from February 2021 to January 2022. The agent said that Taherzadeh claimed “HSI had approved extra rooms as part of his operations.”
Officials clarified that the claims were untrue. The agent also said that Taherzadeh had access to all floors of the apartment, including some restricted areas, and likely used his fake credentials to gain access to such areas inside the building.
The witness further claimed that Taherzadeh showed a computer with “DHS information,” an HSI badge, special police officer credentials, a ballistic vest with DHS/HSI and firearms to prove his position.
The agent claimed that they saw Taherzadeh fire a glock at a gun range and also received gifts like a drone, a gun locker and a Pelican case from the suspect. The Secret Service agent also noted that Taherzadeh said Ali “took care of all administrative issues with Taherzadeh's HSI task force.”
It was also mentioned that police once responded to the Crossing apartment about a complaint involving Taherzadeh wearing police equipment but did not take any action against the man.
Meanwhile, other law enforcement officials alleged that Haider Ali was reportedly under an investigation by HSI's Newark office and the U.S. Postal Service for “fraudulent activity” in connection to an alleged “credit card ring scheme.”
Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali appeared in court for their arraignment hearing on Thursday. During the hearing, prosecutors claimed that 35-year-old Ali told witnesses he had connections to the Pakistani Intelligence Service. The government said that the claim remains unverified as of now.
Prosecutors also noted that the government recovered Ali’s passport containing three “older” Pakistani visas and two Iranian visas, between 2019 and January 2020. The Iranian visa reportedly indicated that Ali had entered the country “at some point,” but prosecutors did not reveal a specific date.
Authorities also noted that they faced difficulties finding an exact address for Taherzadeh but came across points signaling towards the man being a current U.S. citizen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein told the court that authorities found several things from Ali and Taherzadeh’s apartment including law enforcement clothing, DHS patches, ballistic vests, body armor, training manuals, hand cuffs, gas masks, zip ties, firearm storage kits, breaching equipment, handheld radios, body cams, at least one drone, binoculars, a telescope and a binder with a list of every resident of the apartment complex.
Officials also found a loaded Glock-19, ammo, disassembled firearm components for long guns, scopes, sniper spotting equipment and airsoft pistols, as well as Ali’s passport stamped with visas from Iran and Pakistan.
In the wake of the investigation, the Secret Service told CNN that the organization will continue to work on the ongoing case. They also confirmed that all involved agents have been placed on administrative leave and are restricted from accessing Secret Service facilities, equipment and systems:
“The Secret Service adheres to the highest levels of professional standards and conduct and will remain in active coordination with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.”
Taherzadeh and Ali have reportedly not entered a plea of guilty or not guilty at the time of writing. The duo were ordered to remain in jail pending their detention hearing. If convicted, the men will each face a maximum of 3 years in prison. Prosecutors also said they could also charge the duo as part of a conspiracy.
