A Washington, D.C., man accused of impersonating a federal law enforcement officer was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
Arian Taherzadeh, 41, was one of two men arrested in April 2022. He and Haider Ali, 36, operated a business called United States Special Police LLC (USSP), which was described as a private law enforcement, investigative and protective service based in D.C., according to a Justice Department news release.
“The two men represented themselves to law enforcement as investigators and/or special agents and claimed that their unit was part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The company was not associated in any way with the U.S. government or the District of Columbia and had never done business with the federal or D.C. governments,” the release from Friday states.
Prosecutors previously said the two men had tricked actual Secret Service officers and offered them expensive apartments and gifts in an effort to “ingratiate” themselves and integrate with law enforcement agents, including an agent assigned to protect the first lady.
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In an attempt to prove he was an employee of the Department of Homeland Security, Taherzadeh took a picture of himself in a Department of Homeland Security Investigations “vest.” The Secret Service agent also allegedly saw multiple pictures of Taherzadeh in police tactical gear, according to prosecutors. (Department of Justice)
Taherzadeh was accused of providing Secret Service officers and agents with rent-free apartments – including a penthouse worth over $40,000 a year – along with iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a television, a generator, a gun case and other policing tools, according to court documents. In one instance, Taherzadeh offered to purchase a $2,000 assault rifle for a Secret Service agent who is assigned to protect the first lady, prosecutors said.
Taherzadeh pleaded guilty to conspiracy and unlawful possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device and voyeurism in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Aug. 1, 2022.
Along with nearly three years behind bars, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered 36 months of supervised release and $706,218 in restitution.
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One day after the search warrant was executed, April 7, prosecutors state that a Secret Service member who Taherzadeh provided a “rent-free penthouse” allegedly received a package sent through UPS Next Day Air with a return label stating “USSP,” and an address that corresponded to Taherzadeh and Ali’s apartment complex. (Department of Justice)
Taherzadeh was accused of providing Secret Service officers and agents with rent-free apartments. (Department of Justice)
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Ali pleaded guilty on Oct. 5, 2022, to conspiracy and bank fraud and unlawful possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device. On Aug. 8, he was sentenced to 68 months of incarceration followed by 36 months of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution.
“Throughout their tenancies at the three luxury apartment complexes, no rent was paid on the leased apartments or parking garage spaces. This resulted in a loss to the buildings of $698,363 and to the garage of $7,854,” the Justice Department said.
Fox News’ Bradford Betz and Adam Sabes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
