Two men accused of posing as DHS agents allegedly shipped evidence from their apartment to conceal criminal activity.

• According to a filing, two men pretending to be Department of Homeland Security agents tried to ship evidence from their apartment and sought the assistance of a federal law enforcement agent after receiving a tip about an investigation.
• On Wednesday, Haider Ali, 36, and Arian Taherzadeh, 40, were arrested.
• In Washington, D.C., individuals are being accused of pretending to be DHS law enforcement officials.

Two men who pretended to be Department of Homeland Security agents were arrested and tried to ship evidence out of their apartment. They sought the help of a federal law enforcement agent after being tipped off about an investigation. Prosecutors believe that warrants should be issued to detain them without bail based on the evidence presented in a memo.

On Wednesday, Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 36, were arrested for impersonating DHS law enforcement agents in Washington, D.C. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein stated that additional charges of conspiracy could be filed against the men.

Taherzadeh applied to become an armed special police officer (SPO) in March 2019, but was denied due to a prior misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence. He was later allowed to obtain a commission as an unarmed SPO, but this expired in December 2021 when he failed to provide the necessary documents for relicensing.

In October 2020, Ali applied for an SPO commission, but was rejected due to his past arrests for assault and abduction.

According to an FBI affidavit, both men pretended to be DHS agents from February 2020 until their arrest, using insignias and firearms as part of their deception. The men did this in an attempt to gain favor with federal law enforcement and the defense community.

Prosecutors contended that the men's possession and use of weapons, ammunition, and other law enforcement tools, such as a dynamic entry kit, exceeded the scope of their SPO licensure, indicating their deceit and danger.

A former U.S. Marine was interviewed by prosecutors, who claimed the pair tried to recruit him based on false DHS credentials. The unnamed witness testified that he saw illegal weapons in Taherzadeh and Ali's possession, including an AR-15/M4 variant automatic rifle with an illegal suppressor and an AR pistol.

The filing stated that neither of the men possessed a license to carry a firearm outside their homes. Additionally, law enforcement officials discovered illegal high-capacity magazines during the investigation.

According to prosecutors, Taherzadeh and/or Ali attempted to hide evidence by shipping items out of their apartment complex after being informed of the government's investigation. During the search, law enforcement officials discovered UPS labels and shipping materials, which raised suspicion that evidence was being concealed from the premises.

Prosecutors said their concerns proved to be true.

On Thursday, a US Secret Service officer received a package sent via UPS Next Day Air with a return label that matched Ali and Taherzadeh's apartment complex. The box contained firearm cases, with one case holding three ammunition magazines. Additionally, the package contained a cigar case with four cigars.

The pattern and practice of giving federal law enforcement agents gifts and valuable items is consistent with what has been observed, and the fact that Taherzadeh and/or Ali shipped a package to the USSS Uniformed Division Officer suggests an attempt to corruptly influence him to hide evidence.

On Friday, prosecutors claimed that the men "corrupted" Secret Service agents tasked with safeguarding First Lady Jill Biden and the White House by "indulging" them with presents, including free apartments.

— CNBC’s Dan Mangan contributed to this report.