On August 1, 2022, Arian Taherzadeh pled guilty “to charges stemming from a scheme in which he pretended to be a federal law enforcement officer for a range of purposes, including to secure a series of apartments in which he then failed to pay rent. He also used the ruse to promote his security company and ingratiate himself with actual officers.
According to plea documents, Taherzadeh created a business entity called United States Special Police LLC (USSP), which was described as a private law enforcement, investigative, and protective service based in Washington. The company was not associated in any way with the United States government or the District of Columbia.”
“As the scheme unfolded between December 2018 and April 2022, Taherzadeh falsely claimed to be, among other things, a Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security, a member of a multi-jurisdictional federal task force, a former United States Air Marshal, and a former Army Ranger.”
“He used these false claims to recruit others to USSP, under the guise that it was part of a covert federal law enforcement task force, defraud owners of three apartment complexes into providing him with multiple apartments and parking spaces for his supposed law enforcement operations, and ingratiate himself with members of federal law enforcement and the defense community.”
“In furtherance of his scheme, Taherzadeh and others obtained law enforcement clothing, paraphernalia, equipment, and an identification-making device. This included, among other things, police patches and badges, tactical gear and equipment, police lights, a Sig Sauer P229 firearm, a Glock 19 9mm handgun, large quantities of ammunition, concealed carry holsters, surveillance equipment, and unlicensed long gun components including a firearm barrel, weapon stock attachments, foregrips, a magazine cartridge and scope.”
“According to the plea documents, beginning as early as the spring of 2020, Taherzadeh began falsely identifying himself as a Special Agent to employees of the U.S. Secret Service.”
“Taherzadeh and a co-defendant, Haider Ali, 36, also of Washington, D.C., were arrested on April 6, 2022.” (Source: U.S. Department of Justice)