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A new federal court filing is shedding light on the lengths that two Washington D.C. men went to to allegedly pose as federal agents, including stockpiling weapons, tactical gear, and hard drives.
Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, were both arrested on Wednesday at a luxury apartment in the Navy Yard area of Washington, D.C during a multi-federal government agency raid of several units. The men were charged with false impersonation of a federal officer in a U.S. District Court on Thursday.
Federal prosecutors filed a motion for detention on Friday morning, showing some of what the Federal Bureau of Investigations and other agencies found when they executed the search warrant on Wednesday, including a stockpile of weapons allegedly owned by Taherzadeh and Ali.
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Federal law enforcement officers recovered a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition, a Sig Sauer P229 with five fully loaded magazines, and multiple "firearm components" which prosecutors say are normally used with "long guns and assault rifles," among others weapons.
Officers executing the search warrant found multiple firearm safes as well as airsoft pistols.
Additionally, law enforcement agents recovered "numerous electronic devices," including a "significant" amount of surveillance equipment, 30 hard drives, hard drive copying equipment, a server which contained "six modules," as well as a machine that creates and programs Personal Identification Verification cards, and blank cards with chips.
Passports belonging to Ali were also recovered, and show two visas from Iran. Prosecutors say that the first visa authorized travel to Iran from July 31, 2019 through October 28, 2019, and the second from October 28, 2019 through January 25, 2020.
The passports also contain visas from Pakistan.
Tactical gear and other law enforcement equipment was found, including clothing with police signage, police parking signs, a fingerprint kit, and equipment for knocking down a door such as a sledgehammer and lock picking kit.
Immigration documents for "a number of individuals" were also found, as well as "a box of documents with profiles of individual people."
One document found is an invoice for a Chevrolet Impala belonging to the defendants'; the listed customers' information states "Secret Service US," and shows fake names.
One document found is an invoice for a Chevrolet Impala belonging to the defendants', where the customers' information states "Secret Service US," using names that are fake. (Department of Justice)
Taherzadeh was also allegedly seen in a video obtained by law enforcement "shooting a handgun and assault rifle at a shooting range" which is believed to be in Northern Virginia. In one of the videos, prosecutors allege that he is wearing a long sleeve shirt with 'U.S. Secret Service" displayed on it. Taherzadeh is prohibited from possessing these weapons, according to prosecutors.
During a voluntary interview after Taherzadeh was arrested he admitted to falsely identifying himself as a Department of Homeland Security member as well as a former United States Army Ranger. He also said that he provided free apartments to two Secret Service agents for one year, in addition to providing multiple other gifts to members of the Secret Service.
Taherzdeh also admitted to deleting social media content that was law enforcement-related after realizing there was a federal investigation into the two men's activity, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors are requesting that the two men be detained prior to their trial, arguing that Ali is a flight risk and Taherzdeh could attempt to obstruct justice.
A detention hearing will take place on Friday for both men.
The plotwo individuals' plot began unravel when a United States Postal Inspector arrived at their apartment complex to investigate an alleged assault which involved a United States Postal Service carrier, according to prosecutors.
The men identified themselves as investigators with the U.S. Special Police Investigation Unit, which Ali said was part of the Department of Homeland Security, and said Taherzadeh was a Department of Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent.
The United States Postal Inspector then gave this information to the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, where it was then referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to a court filing.
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 investigating the two suspects also allegedly saw multiple pictures of Taherzadeh in police tactical gear, according to prosecutors.
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Taherzadeh also allegedly texted the Secret Service investigator a picture, which he said was purportedly from a training, but was actually pulled from a Department of Homeland Security social media post.
Federal prosecutors allege that Taherzadeh identified himself as a Department of Homeland Security Investigations special agent to a Secret Service agent who's currently assigned to the first lady's protection detail, and Ali identified himself as a Homeland Security Investigations analyst.
Fox News has confirmed that of the four Secret Service agents suspended in connection with the investigation, two of them worked for the uniformed division, and one of the agents' duties was in the vicinity of the residence of Vice President Harris, but not on her person detail.
A separate Secret Service agent who is now suspended was assigned to the Presidential Protective Division of First lady Jill Biden, and sources tell Fox News that it's possible this agent filled in for agents close to President Biden at times but was not on the president's regular security detail.
Residents of the luxury apartment complex in Navy Yard told the inspector that the two men set up video surveillance throughout the apartment complex, and said they believe that they had access to personal information, and even said that the men claimed they could access residents' cell phones.
Federal law enforcement agencies enter an apartment building in Washington, D.C. (Fox News/Kelly Laco)
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One witness, who is a member of the Secret Service, said that Taherzadeh had access to "all floors of the apartment," including some restricted areas. The witness says that Taherzadeh was able to get this access by speaking with the apartment complex's management and identifying himself as a federal agent.
Taherzadeh allegedly controls a limited liability company titled "United Special Police LLC," which is described as a private law enforcement, investigative, and protective service based in Washington, D.C.
Fox News' David Spunt contributed to this report
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