Brentwood Bust: Man accused of impersonating firefighter as authorities seize fire truck

Hospitality exec accused of impersonating first responder

Hospitality executive, Steve Farzam, was arrested, accused of impersonating a first responder and using fake court documents to cover up past crimes. A fire truck was seized from his West LA home, police said.

LOS ANGELES - A dramatic law enforcement operation in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood led to the arrest of a man accused of impersonating a first responder. During the operation, authorities seized a fire truck and discovered potential firearms violations and government fraud.

What we know:

Federal agents and local law enforcement conducted a significant operation at a Brentwood home, located on Rockingham Avenue in an upscale neighborhood. 

The operation involved the LAPD's major crimes division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Authorities arrested a man for impersonating a firefighter, firearms violations, and government fraud. Among the items seized was an older model fire truck, reportedly registered to a fake volunteer fire department called Santa Muerte Fire Department.   

Hospitality exec arrested

LAPD confirmed that hospitality executive Steve Farzam was taken into custody, suspected of impersonating a first responder, committing firearms violations, and government fraud.  

According to LAPD's Major Crimes Division, they began investigating cases involving pilots being struck by a laser while piloting commercial aircraft and helicopters around West LA. That investigation led them to Farzam.  

Farzam was arrested on July 16 and appeared in court on Thursday where he pleaded not guilty.  

He has been charged with 28 criminal counts — including 23 felonies — for a string of alleged crimes that occurred between 2023 and May of this year, including impersonating a firefighter during the Palisades Fire, assaulting a first responder, and discharging a laser at aircrafts.

If convicted as charged, Farzam faces up to 23 years and 10 months in state prison.

During a search of his West LA home, investigators recovered various items including, two utility vehicles with CA Exempt license plates, police and fire equipment for vehicles, radios, first responder identifications, a Pierce Fire Engine, multiple rounds of ammunition, various fraudulent documents relating to a fictitious Fire Department, and other first responder items. 

Impersonation investigation widens

Dig deeper:

Online he's described himself as a "trusted leader in the hospitality business as well as in emergency medicine, law and disaster relief."

Farzam has been named in several legal complaints, including a 2019 allegation of counterfeiting a Los Angeles County Superior Court seal. Authorities say he allegedly used the falsified seal to file a fake court order demanding that internet providers remove stories about his criminal history—including cases where he pleaded no contest to impersonating a police officer in 2002 and served probation for a similar offense in 2015. 

In this latest case, investigators determined that Farzam impersonated a firefighter during the Palisades Fire. According to the LA County DA's Office, on Jan. 16, Farzam allegedly posed as a firefighter, gaining access to restricted emergency zones and interfering with emergency operations. 

The fictitious Santa Muerte Fire Department was also used on uniforms seized during a 2011 San Bernardino investigation. In that case, a different person was arrested for allegedly impersonating a police officer.

It's unclear if there's any connection, but Farzam's neighbors worry about the possibility of a serial impersonator. 

What they're saying:

"I see the helicopter and I'm like, what's the helicopter doing? And I see the FBI pulling up, I see the cops and then the news people. I'm like what going on and I see the fire truck and man I was like whoa what the heck is this? The audacity of people," a stunned resident said.

"It's pretty scary and I think that in this world where everything is so technically advanced, like how is this still happening, that people can kind of walk around with probably not a great impersonation of an outfit or a uniform," another resident said.