Judge grants bail to two men accused of impersonating Homeland Secrity agents

Judge grants bail to two men accused of impersonating Homeland Secrity agents


Arian Taherzadeh, sketch from detention hearing for the two men charged with impersonating DHS agents.

Source: Bill Hennessy

A judge granted bail Tuesday to two Washington, D.C., men criminally charged with impersonating federal law enforcement agents.

The ruling by Judge G. Michael Harvey in federal court for the District of Columbia came a week after the arrest of the men, Haider Ali and Arian Taherzadeh. Harvey said the men can be released into the custody of relatives, who live in the Washington area.

Prosecutors, who said the men who duped Secret Service agents and others with their claims of being Department of Homeland Security agents, had asked Harvey to detain both men without bail pending their trial, calling them a threat to the public.

Filing in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia

Courtesy: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia

A cache of weapons and police equipment were found in apartments maintained by the men, who loaned two expensive apartments to two Secret Service agents, according to prosecutors.

But Harvey said that the case did not meet the standards for denying bail to a defendant, particularly since neither man is charged with a crime of violence.

“In a case like this, release should be the norm,” Harvey said.

“It’s not a crime of violence. It is a felony, but it is a felony with a maximum period of incarceration of three years.”

CNBC Politics

Read more of CNBC’s politics coverage:

The judge also noted that if the duo is convicted of the crime, sentencing guidelines to recommend a jail term of just zero to six months, the lowest possible range for incarceration under those guidelines.

Four Secret Service agents who had contact with the men have been placed on administrative leave.

Among the witnesses against the men are Secret Service agents who were assigned to first lady Jill Biden’s protective detail and the White House.

This is breaking news. Check back for updates.



Source

Trump’s tariffs could overshadow the red carpet as Macron meets King Charles
Politics

Trump’s tariffs could overshadow the red carpet as Macron meets King Charles

France’s President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with delegates as he is greeted upon arrival at RAF Northolt, west of London, on July 8, 2025, on the first day of a three-day state visit to Britain. French President Emmanuel Macron began a three-day state visit to Britain on Tuesday, which will see him address parliament and […]

Read More
Trump announces 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea in first U.S. trade letters
Politics

Trump announces 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea in first U.S. trade letters

U.S. President Donald Trump walks after disembarking Marine One as he arrives at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 6, 2025. Ken Cedeno | Reuters The United States will impose 25% blanket tariffs on imports from Japan and South Korea starting Aug. 1, President Donald Trump revealed Monday. Trump, in a pair of […]

Read More
Trump administration teases more trade deals, but shifting tariff deadlines raise more questions
Politics

Trump administration teases more trade deals, but shifting tariff deadlines raise more questions

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday said the Trump administration will make “several” trade-related announcements in the next 48 hours, signaling imminent progress even as U.S. tariff deadlines appear to be shifting. Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Bessent also declined, yet again, to rule out the possibility that he could serve as the next chair […]

Read More