“The alleged offence, the false impersonation of a law enforcement officer, is not a crime of violence,” wrote Michelle Peterson, a lawyer representing Arian Taherzadeh, 40, in the statement. one of the defendants with Haider Ali, 35 years old.
In court filings, lawyers accused prosecutors of providing unconvincing evidence.
The two men were arrested last week for posing as agents of the Department of Homeland Security and four members of the US Secret Service were suspended from their duties because they are suspected that the defendants provided or offered free apartments and other gifts.
Among those who were offered gifts was an agent assigned to protect President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden.
At a detention hearing on Friday, prosecutor Joshua Rothstein asked US Magistrate Judge Michael Harvey to take the two men into custody. The hearing was scheduled to resume Monday at 3:30 p.m. ET (1930 GMT).
During Friday’s hearing, the judge expressed frustration at the lack of explanation for the defendants’ actions, such as how or even if they paid for the apartments and other gifts, and if they sought anything. thing back.
Rothstein said the FBI searched five apartments linked to the defendants and discovered disturbing evidence, including weapons, surveillance equipment, tools used to make identities and tactical gear.
Rothstein said Ali had traveled to the Middle East in recent years and bragged about having ties to the Pakistani intelligence service, which he said justified Ali’s detention as a flight risk.
On Monday, Ali’s lawyer downplayed the trips abroad, saying one of the passports seized had expired and the trips were all legitimate.
“The main religious shrines of Mr. Ali’s faith are located there, and these visits also all took place more than two years ago,” wrote lawyer Gregory Smith.
Smith said the weapons seized were all found in apartments controlled by Taherzadeh, not his client, and that Ali mistakenly believed Taherzadeh was working as a real DHS agent.
Peterson, who represents Taherzadeh, said rent for apartments used by Secret Service agents was never paid, and a default judgment was entered in January for $222,000.