Fake DHS agent may have scammed another defendant with Secret Service

One of two men criminal charge with impersonating department of Homeland security agents could be tricked along with with several Secret Service agents by making them believe that his co-defendant was in fact a DHS agent, defense lawyer said in trial on Monday.

“The weight of proof against Mister. [Haider] Ali is not strong,” wrote Ali’s lawyer. in innings in US District Court in Washington

“This is far from clear that Mr. Ali ever represented himself as a federal government officer or employee, or that any such statements were known to him as false”wrote lawyer Gregory Smith.

Smith’s pitch says This review of Several interviews with Ali with US Postal Inspector last month “suggests that Mr. Ali may have naively but sincerely believed” that his co-defendant, Arian Taherzadeh, was a member of the National Security Service. special agent” and work he did for Taherzadeh Company (USSP) may have included work this company received from DHS.

Innings for Ali, 35, took the lead of a detention hearing for Ali and Taherzade plan to resume in court later on Monday. men were arrested last week.

prosecutors want both men, who remain in jailed without bail by naming them danger to community.

But lawyers for defendants in documents on Monday asked the judge to release them on bail, saying prosecutors exaggerate the seriousness of case.

Ali’s lawyer said he had four very young children and “really needed back in home since his wife had surgery just This past Friday.”

Advocate also noted that even if Ali was convicted of class E felony he faces, federal sentencing rules would probably recommend a sentence of just zero to six months in prison. He would also to have a right for probation, attorney added.

The prosecutor’s office stated that since arrest of in men last week – against the backdrop of the claims they lavished gifts on Secret Service agents and provided two such agents with free apartments that are usually rented out for up up to $48,000 for year -” story it only gets worse” as investigators turn up additional evidence.

“As of dizzying pace of investigation, there are many facts that we still do not
know” prosecutors wrote in court hearing on Sunday.

“But the facts that we do know about the defendants – that they lied about their identity for years, kept the cache of weapons and surveillance equipment in their apartments compromised by security forces in sensitive positions and tried to cover up their crimes – leave no doubt that their release represents public safety risk. Both defendants should be detained.”

Secret Service Agents who protected first Lady Jill Biden and the White House were among those who were duped by the alleged lie that he was a DHS agent.

Defendants also It was access codes that could allow im entering everything of hundreds of apartments in naval shipyard in Washington DC,area residential complex in which they contain five apartments, prosecutors said. Real law enforcement occupy a number of of those apartments.

And prosecutors said that Ali allegedly told witnesses in the case that he was connected to the ISI, the Pakistani intelligence service.

Four Secret Service agents were stationed on leave as result of case.

Tagherzade’s lawyer Michel Peterson, in filing on Monday asking for his release on bail, said: The government, leaving aside speculative claims and rhetorical frills, there is not enough evidence that Mr. Taherzadeh could be risk of let of justice or danger to community if he was released.”

” government It has failed to demonstrate that it is a crime to be arrested in in first case or even so that there are no conditions of release that can be fashioned to reasonably guarantee safety of in community’ Peterson wrote.

Investigation of Ali and 40-year- began old Taherzade. last the month the US Postal Inspector interrogated them in connection with attack of postman in their apartment in the Washington DC building they are believed to have witnessed.

The postal inspector was told that men were DHS agents and posed as agents to other residents.

In my first interview on On March 16, Ali told the inspector: “I am an investigator with USSP Special Investigations Division, Part of DHS,” lawyer Ali Smith wrote. in Court on Monday.

USSP is the US Special Police, a company owned by Taherzadeh. Is not official law enforcement agency, no part of the Department of National security.

On March 21 follow-up interview, the inspector asked Ali if the USSP was part of of DHS. He replied: “As far as I understand. We are investigating for DHS”.

After the inspector told him that the USSP was not part of of DHS, Ali replied that “he spoke to best of my own knowledge.”

Later that day, Ali was asked why he described Taherzadeh as special agent for Division of Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Homeland Security.

“He’s an HSI,” Ali told the postal inspector.

When the inspector told Ali that Tagerzade was not in a fact HSI agent, Ali replied, “I understand that he is from HSI. in COLUMBIA REGION.”

Attorney Smith wrote, “And why didn’t Mr. Ali believe Taherzadeh?”

The lawyer noted that prosecutors stated that “many seasoned law enforcement officers… for this trick.”

“I fell of these seasoned federal agents, with their years or even decades of experience did not see Tagerzade’s claims, why is it fair to expect more from Mr. Ali, high school graduate with no higher education and no of their formalized training? Smith asked. in innings.

prosecutors in filing on Sunday suggested more serious allegations against Ali and Tagherzade could surface.

“Within last day, the government confirmed more disturbing facts: the ammo magazines seized from Ali’s Glock 19 and Taherzadeh’s Sig Sauer were illegal high-capacity magazines; and, after Taherzade was overturned off about the investigation, either he or Ali seems to made further attempts to hide evidence, including through corrupt attempts to recruit help of federal law enforcement agent, prosecutors wrote.

This application stated former Came a US Marine forward in recent days to tell investigators that the duo were trying to recruit him based on on them false DHS credentials. He also said he saw illegal weapons in The presence of Taherzadeh and Ali, including the AR-15/M4 automatic rifle. with illegal muffler.

No one of in men had a license to carry a firearm outside of them homesthe statement says.

court documents show that Tishman Speyer, real the real estate giant who owns the residential complex in which the defendants maintained their five apartments, in January won absentee decision for more over $222,000 in unpaid rent for these five apartments.

The default decision was against The US Special Police, Taherzadeh’s company, never paid rent. for apartments after renting them out in end of 2020, according to the lawsuit.