South Lake Tahoe man sentenced to over 2 years in prison for impersonating federal officers
SACRAMENTO -- A South Lake Tahoe man was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for four counts of impersonating a federal officer.
Anton Andreyevich Iagounov, 38, was connected to false documents used to impersonate federal agents after investigators served a search warrant at his home related to a series of bomb threats.
Court documents show that Iagounov called in bomb threats to the INTERPOL Operation and Command Center, Boston City Hall, an New York state Walmart, and the Saddleback Memorial Hospital in Laguna Hills, California.
Evidence found in Iagounov's South Lake Tahoe home established that he controlled the devices that were also used to impersonate federal agents.
According to court documents and evidence presented at a three-day trial in July 2024, Iagounov falsely posed as a federal law enforcement agent, specifically an officer of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Office of Inspector General (OIG). He forged official-looking documents, including search warrants, and attempted to pass them off as legitimate court orders.
"The defendant impersonated federal officers and tried multiple times to obtain protected information using fake court documents," Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith said in a statement. "Many federal agencies including NASA have devoted law enforcement officers, and we will not tolerate federal officers being illegally impersonated."
Michael Graham, NASA-OIG Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, added: "Mr. Iagounov's attempt to undermine public trust in order to obtain sensitive government information posed a significant risk, potentially endangering national security and the integrity of NASA and government operations. This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of NASA OIG, the USAO, and our law enforcement partners to safeguarding Federal assets and holding accountable those who undermine justice."
Authorities say that Iagounov carried out his scheme over a span of several weeks in July 2022:
July 5, 2022: Iagounov sent a counterfeit search warrant to the U.S. Capitol Police, falsely claiming it was signed by a NASA-OIG Special Agent and approved by a U.S. District Court judge in Washington, D.C. Upon investigation, the Capitol Police determined the document was fake and referred the case to NASA-OIG.
July 11, 2022: Iagounov sent another fraudulent warrant to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. This time, he left the judge's signature blank, calling it an "emergency filing" that required urgent approval. He used an email address designed to look like a government agency but was actually under his control.
July 18, 2022: Iagounov submitted another forged warrant to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia, once again falsely claiming it needed an immediate judge's signature.
July 24, 2022: Iagounov faxed a letter to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, using the name of a real NASA-OIG supervising agent. He claimed to be following up on a previously submitted warrant, stating that an "exigent circumstance" required immediate judicial approval. The contact email he provided actually belonged to him. Days earlier, on July 15, he had attempted to submit a similar warrant to the same court but received no response.
In each instance, court personnel flagged the documents due to their suspicious nature and referred them to NASA-OIG for review, ultimately leading to Iagounov's prosecution.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the NASA Office of Inspector General, with support from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department and the Carson City Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Conolly and Audrey Hemesath prosecuted the case.
Iagounov was sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison for his crimes. Each count of impersonating a federal officer carried a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but the court ultimately determined his sentence based on applicable statutory factors and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
