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Washinton DC Man Admits Impersonating Federal Law Enforcement Officer
A 36-year-old man from Washington DC has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a scheme in which he pretended to be a federal law enforcement officer for a range of purposes, including to maintain a series of apartments in which he then failed to pay rent.
Haider Ali pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a superseding information charging him with one count each of conspiracy and bank fraud, both federal offenses, and unlawful possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, a District of Columbia offense.
According to plea documents, Ali operated a business called United States Special Police LLC (USSP), which was described as a private law enforcement, investigative, and protective service based in Washington. The two men represented themselves to law enforcement as investigators and/or special agents and that their unit was part of Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
As the scheme unfolded, Ali falsely claimed at various times that he was a member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and/or the U.S. Secret Service. He also falsely claimed that he participated in the capture of the wife of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, that his family had a royal bloodline, and that he had a connection to a senior official in the Pakistani Intelligence Service.
Ali and his co-conspirator used these false claims to recruit others to join their "task force" or "unit," which these individuals believed to be part of DHS and federal law enforcement. In furtherance of the scheme, Ali and his co-conspirator ingratiated themselves with employees of the U.S. Secret Service because it provided them with cover and aided in their scheme.
Ali and his co-conspirator used their assumed law enforcement personas and the business to maintain leases for multiple apartments and parking spaces for a supposed law enforcement operation at a luxury apartment complex in Southeast Washington. These units included a penthouse where Ali and his co-conspirator possessed, among other things, a Glock handgun registered to Ali that was loaded with a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, surveillance equipment, law enforcement tactical gear and a machine capable of programming Personal Identification Verification (PIV) cards used to create false credentials.
Throughout their tenancy, no rent was paid on the leased apartments or parking garage. This resulted in a loss to the building of $306,987 and to the garage of $7,854.
The parties stated that they will jointly recommend a prison sentence of 63 to 78 months. The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for February 24, 2023.
According to the plea agreement, Ali admitted carrying out a bank fraud scheme in which he obtained more than $1 million and used his false law enforcement credentials to pressure individuals recruited to the scheme.
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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