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One of the two men charged of faking federal agents and tricking Secret Service officers into taking things that were not allowed, such rent-free apartments, enters a guilty plea.
A man who infiltrated Jill Biden's Secret Service under the guise of a federal agent entered a guilty plea to conspiracy and other offenses.
Arian "Ari" Taherzadeh, 40, admitted to founding a fake police agency called the United States Special Police and recruiting others to join it by pretending to be federal agents.
Man Accused of Duping Secret Service
Additionally, he bestowed Secret Service officers with goodies including rent-free luxury residences in Washington, DC, drones, iPhones, and guns. One of these agents was tasked with protecting First Lady Jill Biden, according to Daily Mail. His debts include unpaid rent from residential buildings, expensive vehicles, VIP box tickets at Capital One Arena, and a sponsorship agreement with the organization that owns numerous professional sports teams total more than $1 million, according to court documents.
On Monday, Taherzadeh entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy, voyeurism, and unauthorized possession of an ammunition feeding mechanism with a big capacity. He also consented to assist with the current inquiry by the Justice Department. On November 2, he will appear in court again. There is no specific time for sentence.
Taherzadeh acknowledged as part of his plea deal that he, his co-defendant Haider Ali, 35, and an unidentified third party planned to solicit individuals to join a fictitious Homeland Security (DHS) task force. According to court documents that DailyMail.com was able to collect, the scam ran from December 2018 until April 2022. Taherzadeh established the United States Special Police (USSP) and claimed it belonged to a secret task team for federal law enforcement. The business had no connection to the US government in any form.
To recruit people for the USSP, Taherzadeh, among other things, falsely claimed to be a Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security, a member of a multijurisdictional federal task force, a former United States Air Marshal, and an ex-Army Ranger.
Fake Federal Agent Also Tries to Buy Jill Biden's Info
He and Ali tricked three neighborhood apartment buildings into giving him many units and parking spaces for his purported law enforcement activities while posing as the USSP. They also utilized a fictitious association with DHS to "ingratiate themselves with personnel of federal law enforcement."
There is no predetermined time for judgment. Taherzadeh has consented to assist with the government's inquiry, according to the Justice Department. On the conspiracy accusation, he could spend up to five years in jail and pay a $250,000 fine, NY Times reported.
Nearly four months had passed since Taherzadeh and Ali were accused of posing as American police officers in a case that seemed to highlight problems with the Secret Service, the organization in charge of guarding the president and the president's family.
While the issue is being probed, four employees of the agency, who did not immediately reply to a Monday email requesting comment, have been placed on administrative leave. Federal prosecutors said that between December 2018 and April 2022, Taherzadeh "falsely assumed and represented to be officials or employees" of a number of government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.
At least three Secret Service agents were bought gifts from Taherzadeh, including a drone, a doomsday survival kit, and, more opulently, several rent-free apartments, including a penthouse for a year, according to the prosecution. However, the apartments lost more than $800,000 in unpaid rent combined. According to an affidavit, he had also proposed purchasing a $2,000 assault weapon for a member of Jill Biden's security detail.
The charges throw yet another unfavorable light on the Secret Service, which has long been plagued by instances of misbehavior and is currently dealing with fresh inquiries over how it handled communication data connected to the assault on January 6.
Per USA Today, prosecutors claim that Taherzadeh and Ali pretended to be Department of Homeland Security agents in order to gain favor with federal law enforcement. Taherzadeh has also made different claims of being a former Army Ranger and US air marshal.
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