Judge Orders Alleged DHS Impostors Freed in Secret Service Case

[former9thward]

Government hasn’t established that Haider Ali and Arian Taherzadeh’s ‘sophomoric’ behavior amounted to a dangerous threat, federal magistrate judge says

WASHINGTON—A federal judge ordered two men accused of posing as federal agents released from jail while their court cases proceed and sharply questioned the government’s demand to have them detained, saying prosecutors had shown some of their behavior to be “sophomoric” but not a serious threat.

“There are significantly worse and more dangerous law-enforcement impersonation cases than what the government has proffered here,” Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey said in an hourlong ruling Tuesday from the bench in the last of a series of detention hearings over the course of three days.

Prosecutors said the men, Haider Ali and Arian Taherzadeh, posed as Department of Homeland Security employees and gave gifts including rent-free apartments and a drone to Secret Service agents. Prosecutors charged them with impersonating federal officers and argued they were dangerous and would likely flee the country, accusations Judge Harvey said he doubted.

The judge said prosecutors had not shown the men acted on behalf of foreign governments or sought to bribe or extort Secret Service agents, and that no national security information had been compromised.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-orders-alleged-dhs-impostors-freed-in-secret-service-case-11649801698

[stopdiggin]

1. yep. just a couple of high spirited college boys

pranking the SS and Homeland Security.

[mercuryblues]

2. WTF?

[onecaliberal]

3. My god. I want off this fucking ride.

[Tadpole Raisin]

4. The fact of IMPERSONATING homeland security officers is not enough?

Is he out of his mind?

Would he feel the same way if he impersonated a judge?
How about a police officer?

And the last question I would not have asked 5 years ago. Is he a right wing nut job nominated by TFG? I’d start looking at some of his other rulings…

[Emile]

5. Just wat until Ted Cruz hears about this judge!

[Mad_Machine76]

6. Just "boys being boys"

eh?

[Irish_Dem]

7. Secret Service really screwed up, now they are downplaying it.

Even the judge is going along with the cover up.

[ripcord]

8. This is the new norm

We won't even hold violent or multiple offenders, why would it be different in this case?