Prosecutors argued that Ariane Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, Washington, D.C., are a flight risk and danger to the community and therefore should be held in custody until their trial.
Both men, who convinced genuine government officials that their fake employment was legitimate, face allegations that they hired federal agents as a way of associating themselves with US law enforcement and the defense community dating back to February 2020. In, according to court documents.
Neither Tehrzadeh nor Ali have filed a plea of guilty or not guilty.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein told court Thursday that when officers searched the apartments of the two men, they found ballistic vests, body armor, gas masks, zip ties, hand cuffs, firearms storage kits, breaching equipment, handheld radios, body Came found. List every resident of the apartment complex, which is home to several federal employees, with at least one drone, law enforcement clothing, DHS patches and training manuals, binoculars, a telescope and a binder.
Rothstein said law enforcement found a loaded Glock-19, gunpowder, long guns, scopes, sniper spotting equipment and airsoft pistols, as well as a passport for Ali, which was stamped with Pakistani and Iranian visas.
Secret Service agents assigned to the White House were among those who allegedly defrauded Ali and Tehrzadeh over the past two years, including one with protective details of First Lady Jill Biden.
The FBI said in a filing in the US District Court for the District of Columbia that four Secret Service agents have been placed on administrative leave for further investigation. Senior law enforcement officials said the agent said to be the first lady was among those on leave.
The Secret Service is conducting an internal review of conversations between four Secret Service agents and two men accused of posing as federal agents, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
"We are examining our people to see how their social circles collide," a source said.
“We are only 72 hours into this review,” said the source, “there is no sign of nefarious activity yet.”
In a statement earlier on Thursday, the Secret Service said, "All personnel involved in this case are on administrative leave and have been restricted from accessing Secret Service facilities, equipment and systems. The Secret Service adheres to the highest level of professional standards and conduct and will be in active coordination with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security."
As part of the alleged plan, Ali and Tahrzadeh recruited a man to be an "employee of DHS" and to "serve on their work force". The complaint states that the 'applicant' is required to be shot with an airsoft rifle in order to evaluate their pain tolerance and response. After being shot, the applicant was informed that his appointment was in process.
Rothstein said Thursday that there could be more charges against the two men, possibly including conspiracy charges.
Both Ali and Tehrzadeh were asked to be represented by court-appointed lawyers, Ali told the judge on Thursday that he made the request "because I don't have any money."
A virtual court hearing is scheduled for Friday afternoon to determine whether the two defendants should continue to be held in custody.
Prosecutors say the defendants had five apartments -- two for separate residences and three used for storage.
According to the FBI, Tehrzadeh owns several apartments in the DC-area building where several law enforcement agents live. The complaint states that Tehrzadeh provided rent-free apartments to Secret Service members and a DHS employee whose total annual rent exceeds $40,000 per apartment, as well as iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a flat screen A case for storing televisions, a generator, law enforcement materials, and an assault rifle.
The documents also said that Tehrzadeh offered agents the use of an "official government vehicle" and proposed to purchase a $2,000 assault rifle for a Secret Service agent entrusted with the protective details of first lady Jill Biden.
Both men are US citizens with some college experience; Tehrzadeh has claimed that he went to Georgetown University. NBC News has contacted the school for confirmation.
Meanwhile, Ali has claimed from witnesses that he had links to Pakistan's intelligence agency, Rothstein said, while stressing that the US government has not confirmed the veracity of those claims.
The FBI said the two men were apprehended after a US Postal Service inspector entered the building to investigate an alleged attack involving a USPS employee. The inspector was informed that Tehrzadeh and Ali were witnesses to the incident.
He reportedly told the inspector that he was an investigator for a "U.S. Special Police Investigation Unit," one of whom he said was part of the DHS, according to the FBI. The complaint states that Taherzadeh owns a company called "United Special Police," which his website advertises as a private security and investigative agency, not actual law enforcement. The complaint said the men claimed to be involved in investigations related to undercover gangs, as well as investigations related to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
The Postal Service inspector relayed his findings about the men to the DHS office of the Inspector General, which then sent the information to the FBI.