One of the men accused of posing as a federal agent to get close to Secret Service agents said he was tricked into taking part in the scheme by the other defendant, who claims he was merely acting out of a “desire for friendship.”
Lawyers for 35-year-old Haider Ali said he got carried away in a situation he did not fully understand because he had “naively but genuinely believed” his co-conspirator, 40-year-old Arian Taherzadeh, was actually an agent for the Department of Homeland Security, according to court documents filed in federal court and reported by the Washington Post. Ali’s lawyers attempted to shift the blame entirely on Taherzadeh, stressing that several Secret Service agents also fell for the act.
“If all of those experienced federal agents, with their years or even decades of experience, did not see through Taherzadeh’s claims, why is it fair to expect more from Mr. Ali, a high school graduate with no college degree and none of their formalized training?” wrote attorney Gregory Smith in court filings.
FAKE AUTHORITIES ARRESTED IN ALLEGED SCHEME TO COZY UP TO SECRET SERVICE
The pair were arrested on Wednesday as part of an investigation that found weapons, police paraphernalia, and surveillance equipment in their apartment building that were allegedly used to impersonate government employees. Building residents told a U.S. Postal Service inspector, who began the inquiry, that the two had identified themselves as DHS workers and gifted Secret Service agents with cellphones, rent-free apartments, and a drone, among other things.
The two had maintained their act since February 2020 up until their arrest and had tried to recruit others using their fake credentials, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors allege their actions “compromised” members of the Secret Service, one of whom was assigned to first lady Jill Biden’s security detail. Four Secret Service employees were placed on leave pending further investigation.
Taherzadeh’s lawyers said his actions were motivated by a “desire of friendship” and that he only gave gifts to those “with whom he had a genuine friendship,” according to court records. He also told law enforcement that he made “an embarrassing misrepresentation that got out of control,” per court documents.
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Ali and Taherzadeh are set to appear in court on Monday and may face additional charges, as the investigation is ongoing.
“This investigation is less than two weeks old, and every day the evidence gets worse and worse,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein on Friday, according to the outlet.
