Steve Farzam, a perpetual fraudster with a history of criminal behavior related false police and fire credentials, has been arrested again for impersonating public safety officers, this time passing himself off as a firefighter during the Palisades Fire.
Steve Farzam, 46, allegedly posed as a firefighter on Jan. 16 during the Palisades Fire, gaining access to restricted emergency zones and interfering with emergency operations, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. He faces up to 23 years and 10 months in state prison after being charged with 28 criminal counts, including 23 felonies, authorities announced.
"This defendant's alleged actions reflect a disturbing pattern of lawlessness and disregard for public safety," District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. "Over the course of more than a year, he is accused of repeatedly putting lives at risk, from impersonating a firefighter during an active wildfire to assaulting a first responder and targeting aircraft with a laser."
The charges span incidents between 2023 and May of this year. Farzam pleaded not guilty during his arraignment and is being held without bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 28 in Department 30 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
The felony charges include six counts of discharging a laser at an aircraft, three counts of assault with a deadly or dangerous weapon, four counts of assault upon a peace officer, one count of impersonation of a public officer, one count of carrying a loaded unregistered handgun in a vehicle, seven counts of perjury by declaration and one count of procuring and offering a false or forged instrument.
He also faces misdemeanor charges of impersonating a fire officer twice and three counts of trespassing on closed lands.
The arrest is the latest in a long history of Farzam claiming to be someone he is not and his lengthy history of legal troubles dating back nearly three decades.
His earliest known incident occurred in 1999, when Santa Barbara County authorities arrested him for impersonating a police officer and perjury while attempting to become a deputy sheriff. He accepted a plea deal on lesser charges, including providing false information on DMV documents and unlawful vehicle registration.
Three years later, Los Angeles prosecutors charged Farzam for impersonating a firefighter. The L.A. City Attorney filed a 19-count complaint, and Farzam was convicted in 2003 of five misdemeanor offenses related to the firefighter impersonation.
Farzam's legal troubles escalated significantly in 2014 when a multi-agency investigation targeted his activities. In June 2014, the California Attorney General's eCrime Unit, alongside the ATF, FBI and DMV, raided Farzam's home and office at the Shore Hotel.
Investigators seized a cache of law enforcement items, including 16 firearms, 12 emergency radios, 43 forged law enforcement badges and a fully-marked California Highway Patrol police cruiser outfitted with lights. The state initially brought 77 criminal counts against him, with all but four being felonies.
In 2015, as part of a plea agreement, Farzam pleaded no contest to three felonies: impersonating a peace officer, possession of an illegal assault weapon and unauthorized access of a computer system. A Los Angeles County judge sentenced him to 182 days in jail with credit for 90 days already served, resulting in time served.
In 2022, a court reduced these felony convictions to misdemeanors and officially expunged them from Farzam's record following successful completion of his sentence and related conditions.
His criminal history continued between 2017 and 2019 when Farzam was involved in another legal saga involving an apparent attempt to hide his criminal record from public view. When The Atavist Magazine was preparing to publish an exposé on his misconduct history, Farzam's attorney provided what purported to be a Los Angeles Superior Court order sealing his 2015 case records.
However, investigators found no evidence of any such sealing order, and the defense attorney named on the supposed court order had "never heard of Farzam," indicating the document was likely a forgery. By late 2019, Farzam was criminally charged with counterfeiting a court seal in connection with the fake order. He ultimately pleaded no contest to three felony charges in this case as well.
Farzam is the former Chief Operating Officer of the Shore Hotel but in an statement, the hotel said he has not held any position at Shore Hotel for over five years and has no affiliation with the hotel, which continues to be committed to providing exceptional service and upholding the highest standards for its guests and the community.