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Judge rejects detention of law enforcement imposters; no evidence of 'nefarious' effort to infiltrate Secret Service

  

Category:  News & Politics

Via:  sister-mary-agnes-ample-bottom  •  2 years ago  •  12 comments

By:   Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY

Judge rejects detention of law enforcement imposters; no evidence of 'nefarious' effort to infiltrate Secret Service
"There has been no showing that national security information has been compromised," U.S. Magistrate G. Michael Harvey ruled.

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T



WASHINGTON – A federal magistrate rejected prosecutors' request to detain accused law enforcement imposters who compromised Secret Service members, saying there is no evidence that the two pose a national security risk or made a "nefarious" attempt to infiltrate the Secret Service.

"There has been no showing that national security information has been compromised," U.S. Magistrate G. Michael Harvey ruled, casting a wary assessment of the government's overall case against Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, who were arrested last week following a raid on a downtown apartment complex.

Harvey took special aim at the government's claim that the two suspects, who allegedly posed as federal law enforcement agents, had the actual financial wherewithal to provide personal gifts, including rent-free apartments to at least two Secret Service valued at more than $40,000 each.

The magistrate noted that the owners of an upscale downtown apartment complex where the two suspects allegedly controlled five apartment units had obtained judgements against the suspects for thousands of dollars in unpaid rent.

"There does appear to be a lot of bravado here," Harvey said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein said the government would weigh a possible appeal of the decision; Harvey said he would delay the suspects' release until Wednesday morning to arrange their proper placement in home confinement with family members.

Some of the most tantalizing aspects of the government's case, however, were called into question by the judge.

In addition to the concerns raised about the suspects' ability to finance a law enforcement infiltration effort, Harvey said the government's references to Ali's foreign travel to Iran, Iraq and Pakistan and alleged claims of a connection to Pakistan's intelligence agency were overstated.

Prosecutors have asserted that Ali had told at least one witness he had connections with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

The judge said there was no "reliable evidence" that a foreign government had provided financing or was supporting the suspects and their outreach to the Secret Service.

Ali's family members have said the travel was related to religious pilgrimages, which Harvey described Tuesday as "plausible" explanations.

The decision comes a day after defense lawyers offered a forceful rebuttal of the government's case.

"I've been doing this a long time," Ali attorney, Gregory Smith during Monday's detention hearing. "There have been times in my career when I've seen the government get out over their skis; this is the case here."

"The real imposter here is the impersonation of this case as a national security threat," he said, during a Monday detention hearing where both suspects sought their releases pending trial.

Four Secret Service member, two agents and two members of the Uniformed Division, remain on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.


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Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom
Professor Guide
1  seeder  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom    2 years ago

"There has been no showing that national security information has been compromised," U.S. Magistrate G. Michael Harvey ruled, casting a wary assessment of the government's overall case against Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, who were arrested last week following a raid on a downtown apartment complex.

Um.  Ok.  What about the part where 4 Secret Service agents who were assigned to the White House, and one assigned to Jill Biden's direct security detail, were accepting thousands of dollars' worth of gifts over a two-year period from two men posing as US Federal law enforcement officers?  

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
1.1  devangelical  replied to  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom @1    2 years ago

ankle monitors at the very least...

 
 
 
Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom
Professor Guide
1.1.1  seeder  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom  replied to  devangelical @1.1    2 years ago

I don't know how the judge can be so flip about it.  Maybe someone should take a look at him.

 
 
 
Ronin2
Professor Quiet
1.1.2  Ronin2  replied to  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom @1.1.1    2 years ago

I agree with you. The judge should be looked at.

Why would any pose as US Federal Law Enforcement officers and try and get close to secret service and be allowed into sensitive areas? Couldn't be doing advanced planning for a future terrorist plot or anything? Or at least not in the judge's opinion.

If the two illegally gained access to places and people that they shouldn't have, then they violated the law. 

 

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
1.1.3  Ender  replied to  Ronin2 @1.1.2    2 years ago

This has to be history...

I agree with you.

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
1.1.4  Split Personality  replied to  Ender @1.1.3    2 years ago

Ditto, but I think it's the second time, 

jrSmiley_91_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
2  Split Personality    2 years ago

Sounds like the lawbreakers will find a way to return to Pakistan

while many of our Federal agents will face the music here, most certainly losing their jobs

over an incredible lack of judgement.

The one who figured this out and recognized the inappropriate "gifts" might keep her job.

 
 
 
Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom
Professor Guide
2.1  seeder  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom  replied to  Split Personality @2    2 years ago
The one who figured this out and recognized the inappropriate "gifts" might keep her job.

I might be mistaken, but I think the person who figured out that the two men were frauds was a US Postal Service supervisor who was called to the apartment building when a mailman got into a beef with a tenant.  The two frauds were supposedly witnesses to whatever happened, and the supervisor became suspicious of their strange behavior and improper uniform apparel for the branch of federal law enforcement for which they claimed to be working.

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
2.1.1  Split Personality  replied to  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom @2.1    2 years ago

I saw that but there was another article which said the new "unnamed recruit" was a woman in DHS who also raised questions about the 2 Pakis

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
3  Split Personality    2 years ago

And in today's news, the two accused were charged with many more federal charges.

Two men accused of posing as federal agents indicted on federal charges (msn.com)

 
 
 
Drinker of the Wry
Junior Expert
3.1  Drinker of the Wry  replied to  Split Personality @3    2 years ago

Maybe we should view this as a positive, folks want to be associated with the Fed.

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
3.1.1  Split Personality  replied to  Drinker of the Wry @3.1    2 years ago

jrSmiley_91_smiley_image.gif jrSmiley_91_smiley_image.gif

 
 

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