Four U.S. Secret Service agents have been fired after revealing their links to a scheme that helped federal officers get tens of thousands of dollars in rent-free apartments and other benefits.
The dismissals were made after the arrests of Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali who were set up as the employees of the Department of Homeland Security.
The investigation revealed that Taherzadeh provided Secret Service members and a Homeland Security employee with more than $40,000 in rent-free apartments.
Taherzadeh offered to buy a $2,000 assault rifle for a Secret Service agent that was protecting the first lady Jill Biden.
Another case mentions a Secret Service employee that was provided access to an estate of a cost of $40,200 between February 2021 and January 2022.
Taherzadeh told to the officers that the rent was approved by the DHS as a part of his job.
"The investigation confirmed that there are no such operations and that it authorised no such expense," court said.
As a result, all the personnel connected to the case is now punished.
"All personnel involved in this matter are on administrative leave and are restricted from accessing Secret Service facilities, equipment, and systems," the agency said.