Suspect Arrested

 
Los Angeles: In June of 2003, both the Van Nuys Area Captain and Patrol Captain received identical anonymous letters of a criminal threat against the Kodak Center in Hollywood. The letters directed the detectives to the owner of a specific vehicle who was possibly involved with explosives. Criminal Conspiracy Section (CCS), Anti-Terrorist Division (ATD) conducted the investigation with the assistance of Criminal Investigation Section (CIS). The focus of the investigation was Medhi Daghighialamoudi and his vehicle. Search warrants of his Encino apartment and vehicles were served.
Daghighialamoudi is an Iranian National who entered this Country on a student visa in the late 1980’s. Daghighialamoudi was arrested for driving without a license and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE) was contacted and an immigration hold was placed on him. Daghighialamoudi was transferred to Terminal Island Federal Detention facility where he posted bail out pending an immigration hearing. While he was out, he traded in his 2001 Ford Explorer to a Los Angeles car dealership.
The Ford Explorer changed ownership in August. In early September, the new owner was washing his vehicle at his Hollywood residence and discovered two hand grenades hidden underneath the vehicle. The owner drove his vehicle back to the car dealership and reported the discovery.
The CCS detectives and LAPD Bomb Squad technicians responded to the location. The bomb technicians conducted the recovery and render safe procedures of the two hand grenades. The technicians determined that both grenades were fully functional and capable of causing great bodily injury or death to anyone in close proximity and in violation of California Statutes.
The CCS detectives recognized the name of Daghighialamoudi as the previous owner of the vehicle and remembered the original June letters attempting to connect him with explosives. A check with BICE revealed that Daghighialamoudi had posted bail. Agents were apprised of the new information. Agents from BICE responded to Daghighialamoudi’s address where they revoked his bond based on the new information.
The detectives wrote a search warrant for two apartments associated with Daghighialamoudi. The detectives obtained information that Daghighialamoudi was managing apartment buildings and was embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the owner of the buildings.
Interviews with Daghighialamoudi revealed that he had an association with a Russian National named Anton Victor Pismarov. In the past, Pismarov told Daghighialamoudi that he had been knowledge of weapons.
This information led the detectives to prepare another search warrant. On September 18, CCS, CIS and SWAT, Metropolitan Division, and Agents from the FBI and ATF, served the warrant at Pismarov’s Encino residence. The search led to the recovery of weapons and computers. An interview of Pismarov led to his arrest for possession of dangerous weapons.
The detective’s investigation lead to additional information about Pismarov’s association with Daghighialamoudi the original letters and possible explosives.
Deputy District Attorneys Sally Thomas and John Moulin assigned to the District Attorney’s Organized Crime Division reviewed the case for criminal filing.
Detectives from CCS arrested Pismarov on October 2, 2003, for placement of an explosive device.
Detectives from CIS took Daghighialamoudi out of Federal detention and arrested him on forgery charges on October 2, 2003. The grand theft charges were based on evidence that, as an apartment manager, Daghighialamoudi embezzled money from the owner of the apartment buildings.
This investigation is continuing and being handled by Anti-Terrorist Division.
This press release was prepared by Public Information Officer Grace Brady, Media Relations Section, 213-485-3586.