A Washington, D.C., man accused of impersonating a federal law enforcement officer was sentenced Friday to nearly three years in prison.
Arian Taherzadeh was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to 33 months months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $706,218 in restitution, the Justice Department said in a news release.
Taherzadeh pleaded guilty last year to a three-count indictment that included conspiracy, voyeurism and a weapons charge stemming from a scheme that led to four Secret Service agents being placed on administrative leave.
That plea came months after Taherzadeh and co-defendant Haider Ali were arrested and charged with impersonating Department of Homeland Security agents. Ali, who also pleaded guilty, was later sentenced to more than five years in prison.
Taherzadeh’s sentencing falls within the 30-37 month range recommended by prosecutors, who suggested a reduced sentence after Taherzadeh was cooperative with their investigation.
In a sentencing memo that sought no more than 18 months of incarceration followed by a term of supervised release, defense attorneys highlighted “fulsome cooperation” from Taherzadeh in the investigation, adding that he “deeply regrets the harm he caused to the reputations and careers of these officers.”
An attorney for Taherzadeh declined to comment Friday on the 33-month sentence.
According to court documents, Taherzadeh lavished gifts valuing $90,000 on Secret Service agents in an effort to build a cover. One of the Secret Service agents placed on leave had been detailed to first lady Jill Biden.
During the scheme, Taherzadeh falsely claimed to be a DHS special agent, a member of a federal task force, a former U.S. Air Marshal, and a former U.S. Army Ranger. He also defrauded owners of three apartment complexes who provided luxury lodging and parking for his fictitious law enforcement operations.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
