Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Anton Andreyevich Iagounov, a 38-year-old resident of South Lake Tahoe, has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for impersonating a federal officer. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
Court documents and trial evidence revealed that Iagounov created counterfeit investigative documents, signing them with the name of a fictional federal agent to request protected information from the Department of Defense.
Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith stated, "The defendant impersonated federal officers and tried multiple times to obtain protected information using fake court documents." She emphasized the commitment to preventing such impersonations across federal agencies.
Michael Graham, Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, highlighted the potential risks posed by Iagounov's actions, stating they could have endangered national security and compromised NASA and government operations. He added that the sentencing reflects the dedication of NASA OIG and law enforcement partners in protecting federal assets.
Jeremy N. Schwartz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Las Vegas Division, remarked on the importance of verifying officers' identities: "If you believe someone is impersonating an officer, you may ask their agency to confirm their official business."
The investigation began when Iagounov sent a forged search warrant to various courts between July 5 and July 24, 2022. These included claims involving NASA Office of Inspector General agents and requests for immediate judicial signatures under false pretenses. Each incident was referred to NASA-OIG for investigation due to its sensitive nature.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NASA Office of Inspector General with support from local law enforcement agencies. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Conolly and Audrey Hemesath.
