Four Secret Service Agents Tied To Phony Cop Scandal Suspended
Four US Secret Service agents have been suspected over links to two men accused of impersonating federal law enforcement officers, who reportedly gave thousands of dollars worth of gifts to agency personnel - including one assigned to First Lady Jill Biden's detail, according to Reuters.
Courtesy: D.O.J
The two Washington men, Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, appeared in federal court on Thursday a day after being arrested. Prosecutors said they plan to charge them with conspiracy in a scheme in which they are accused of posing as U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents.
Taherzadeh offered to purchase a $2,000 assault rifle for a Secret Service agent assigned to protect first lady Jill Biden and told other government officials they could have access to what he claimed were "official government vehicles," the FBI said. -Reuters
According to federal prosecutor Joshua Rothstein, Ali told witnesses he was linked to the Pakistani Intelligence Service (ISI), while US authorities have reportedly recovered a passport from Ali which shows he had three visas to visit Pakistan and two for Iran.
The pair were caught when they lied to a US Postal inspector investigating the March assault of a letter carrier. The men told the inspector they were part of a special police investigative unit looking into undercover gang-work and investigations into the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol. They had been posing as such since at least February 2020 according to the report.
Taherzadeh attempted to delete his social media history after he learned he was under investigation, according to Rothstein.
They offered multiple gifts to Secret Service members - as well as a DHS employee - which included rent-free apartments valued at $40,000 per year, as well as iPhones, surveillance systems, a flatscreen TV, an assault rifle case, a generator, a drone and other paraphernalia.
Rothstein said the FBI uncovered evidence after searching several apartments tied to the defendants including a loaded Glock pistol, ammunition, components from disassembled guns and sniper equipment.
In addition, it recovered body armor, gas masks, zip ties, handcuffs, firearm storage cases, a drone, Department of Homeland Security patches and law enforcement clothing, DHS training manuals, surveillance equipment and a binder with a list of residents in the apartment complex.
The Justice Department said the suspects tried to recruit at least one person to join what they claimed was an official DHS "task force." -Reuters
"Taherzadeh and Ali required that the 'applicant' be shot with an Airsoft rifle to evaluate their pain tolerance and reaction," one FBI agent wrote in a sworn statement. "Subsequent to being shot, the applicant was informed that their hiring was in process. The applicant was also assigned to conduct research on an individual that provided support to the Department of Defense and intelligence community."
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