A federal jury has convicted a former Media Partnerships Manager for the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region at Twitter of acting as a foreign agent without notice to the Attorney General, conspiracy, wire fraud, international money laundering, and falsification of records in a federal investigation.
The verdict was delivered following a two-week trial before the Honorable Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen for the Northern District of California.
Ahmad Abouammo, 44, formerly of Walnut Creek, California, and currently residing in Seattle, was employed at Twitter as Media Partnerships Manager for the MENA region.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Abouammo took bribes in exchange for accessing, monitoring, and conveying personal identifiable information (PII) for over 6,000 Twitter account users (including at least 33 usernames for which Saudi law enforcement had submitted emergency disclosure requests to Twitter), to officials of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Royal family.
Abouammo was responsible for protecting Twitter user information and owed Twitter his honest services, in his position with the company. Additionally, Twitter policies required Abouammo to disclose violations of Twitter’s security policies and report gifts from those with business dealings with the company.
When questioned about the accesses of Twitter user information and his receipt of bribes, Abouammo then lied to FBI investigators and falsified a document.
“Abouammo acted in secret as an agent of a foreign government targeting dissenting voices,” according to Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
“This verdict shows that the Justice Department will not tolerate any act of transnational repression and will hold accountable those who aid hostile regimes in extending their reach to our shores.”
“The Northern District of California is home to many of the most innovative technology companies in the world,” added U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds for the Northern District of California.
“One consequence of this good fortune is that companies in this district often collect and store vast amounts of data from customers and vendors. In this case, the government demonstrated, and the jury found, that Abouammo violated a sacred trust to keep private personal information from Twitter’s customers and sold private customer information to a foreign government.”
“Abouammo’s decision to accept bribes in exchange for providing to a foreign government the protected information of customers could have untold damaging consequences.”
“As this case demonstrates, we will not tolerate the misuse of personal information or attempts by foreign governments to recruit secret, malign agents at American technology companies. Where such misuse violates the federal law, offenders will be prosecuted.”
(A US federal court has found a former Twitter manager guilty of spying for Saudi Arabia’s royal family. Couurtesy of VoV News and YouTube. Posted on Aug 10, 2022.)
“Any attempts by foreign governments to hijack free speech – in social media or any form – will not be tolerated here in the United States,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division.
“This case is proof of the FBI’s commitment to defend our constitutional right. Authoritarian governments rely on transnational repression to shape the world in their favor and stifle dissent.”
“We remain dedicated to protecting the United States from all threats foreign and domestic, which includes efforts by foreign governments to stalk, harass, or intimidate the people within our borders.”
“The FBI San Francisco division works tirelessly to prevent efforts by foreign governments to suppress fundamental human rights, including the free speech of dissenting voices on U.S. social media platforms,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office.
“This verdict reaffirms the FBI’s dedication to stopping transnational repression from any foreign government and sends a clear message that justice will be brought to those who threaten the freedoms of an open society.”
According to the evidence and court documents, Abouammo began receiving bribes from an official of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as early as December 2014.
The foreign official met with Abouammo in London and provided Abouammo with a luxury Hublot watch. Abouammo later acknowledged the value of the watch was $42,000 when he offered it for sale on Craigslist.
After the meeting in London, Abouammo began repeatedly accessing private information about several Twitter accounts, at least one of which was an influential account who was critical of members of the Saudi Royal Family and the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Abouammo also continued to communicate with the official of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including regarding the influential critical account.
(A surprise decision today after a Seattle judge released Ahmad Abouammo, a former Twitter employee who is accused of spying for Saudi Arabia. Courtesy of King 5 and YouTube. Posted on Nov 8, 2019.)
Evidence at trial further showed that after Abouammo traveled to Lebanon in February 2015. A bank account was opened in the name of his father in Lebanon, which Abouammo obtained access to.
The account then received $100,000 from the official of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Abouammo laundered the money by sending it into the United States in small wire transfers with false descriptions.
Abouammo left his job at Twitter in May 2021 and, shortly thereafter, received another $100,000 into the bank account in Lebanon, accompanied by a note from the official apologizing for the delayed payment. Abouammo responded, in part, by asking whether the official wanted any additional information from Twitter.
In October 2018, FBI agents interviewed Abouammo at his residence about his involvement in the scheme with officials of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Evidence at trial demonstrated that Abouammo provided false information to the FBI investigators and falsified an invoice for one of the payments he received from the foreign official.
Abouammo was arrested on Nov. 5, 2019. On July 28, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging him with acting as an agent of a foreign government without providing notice to the Attorney General; conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and honest services fraud; six counts of honest services fraud and wire fraud; international money laundering; and falsification of records in a federal investigation.
The jury acquitted Abouammo of five of the counts of wire fraud and honest services fraud. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on all the remaining counts.
Abouammo faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the charge of acting as an agent of a foreign government and 20 years in prison for each of the other counts. Additionally, each count for which Abouammo was found guilty carries up to a $250,000 fine and additional periods of supervised release to follow the prison term.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors however, a sentencing hearing has not been scheduled as yet.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Sampson and Eric Cheng for the Northern District of California, as well as Trial Attorney Christine Bonomo of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Beth Margen and Alycee Lane.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigatiton (FBI).
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Recognized in 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program
American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now entering it’s Seventh Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Excellence in Homeland Security
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The IC3 serves as the FBI’s central hub to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding occurrences of Internet crime
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IC3 provides the public with a reliable and convenient reporting mechanism to submit reports of suspected Internet-facilitated criminal activity and to develop alliances with law enforcement and industry partners.
(Actress Kirsten Vangsness, who plays tech-savvy FBI analyst Penelope Garcia on the show Criminal Minds, is promoteing the awareness of Internet crimes and scams and encourages the public to report suspected criminal cyber activity to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Courtesy of the FBI and YouTube.)
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Information is analyzed and disseminated for investigative and intelligence purposes to law enforcement and for public awareness.
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Since 2000, the IC3 has received complaints crossing the spectrum of cyber crime matters, such as online fraud in its many forms, including intellectual property rights (IPR) matters, computer intrusions (hacking), economic espionage (theft of trade secrets), online extortion, international money laundering, identity theft, and a growing list of Internet-facilitated crimes.
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It has become increasingly evident that, regardless of the label placed on a cyber crime matter, the potential for it to overlap with another referred matter is substantial.
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IC3 develops leads and notifies law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, local and international level.
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was also recognized in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program for the Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) Program, which investigates Child Abductions, Contact Offenses Against Children, Sexual Exploitation of Children, Trafficking of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAB), and International Parental Kidnapping.
(According to the FBI, internet crimes against children include sextortion, where an adult will persuade a child to send sexually explicit videos. Courtesy of WTHR and YouTube. Posted on Apr 19, 2022.)
The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards highlight the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.
AST Honors Thomas Richardson, FDNY Chief of Department; Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, President of NEC National Security Systems; and Richard Blatus, FDNY Assistant Chief of Operations, at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon at ISC East.
The United States was forever changed 20 years ago on September 11th, and we were fortunate to have many of those who responded to those horrific tragedies join us at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon.
In the days that followed 9/11, the critical needs of protecting our country catapulted us into new and innovative ways to secure our homeland – which is how many of the agencies and enterprise organizations that are today ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champions, came into being.
Our 2021 keynote speaker featured a moving and informative address from TSA Administrator and Vice-Admiral of the United States Coast Guard (Ret), David Pekoske; to our attendees who traveled from across the United States and abroad, on the strategic priorities of the 64,000 member TSA workforce in securing the transportation system, enabling safe, and in many cases, contactless travel.
Legendary Police Commissioner William Bratton of the New York Police Department, the Boston Police Department, and former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department was also live at the event, meeting with attendees and signing copies of his latest work ‘The Profession: A Memoir of Community, Race, and the Arc of Policing in America,’ courtesy of the generosity of our 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Premier Sponsors.
The 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is Proudly Sponsored by New PLATINUM SPONSOR: NEC National Security Systems (NSS), New Premier Sponsors Rajant Corporation, and guardDog AI, and returning Sponsors ATI Systems, Automatic Systems, RX Global, and SIMS Software!
The continually evolving ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program will emphasize the trail of Accomplished Women in Leadership in 2022, as well as the Significance and Positive Impact of Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in our Next Generation of Government and Industry Leaders. #MentorshipMatters
So be on the lookout for exciting upcoming announcements of Speakers, Presenters, Book Signing Opportunities, and Attendees at the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon in November of 2022 in New York City!
Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.
Comprehensive List of Categories Include:
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Don’t see a Direct Hit for your Product, Agency or Organization?
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In 2021 over 200 distinguished guests representing Federal, State, and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms gathered from across North America, Europe, and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields which included:
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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
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ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI)
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Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
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The Federal Protective Service (FPS)
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Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
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DHS Science & Technology (S&T)
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The National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health (NCDMPH)
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The American Red Cross
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The InfraGard National Alliance
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The Metropolitan Police (MPD)
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The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)
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Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS)
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The Federal Air Marshals Service
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The San Diego Harbor Police Foundation, and Many More!
Register for the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Luncheon Today
American Security Today is delighted to announce, that Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner (DEAC) Diane J. Sabatino of the Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), will be the opening keynote speaker at the much-anticipated 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon, on Wednesday, November 16th, 2022.
American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now in its Seventh Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.
To take advantage of this exclusive luncheon opportunity to invite your team, guests, clients, and show visitors to a gourmet, affordable, plated meal event in the heart of New York City, for a fabulous networking opportunity!
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Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture, and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.
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AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website, and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.
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(See just a few highlights of American Security Today’s 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon at ISC East. Courtesy of My Pristine Images and Vimeo.)
To learn more about ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, please see the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2021 ‘A Year in Review’.
The Annual CHAMPIONS edition includes a review of Annual ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firm’s products and services, including video interviews and more.
It serves as your Go-To Source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2021 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and/or organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.
From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection, and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware and Networking Security – Just to name a few), the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION has what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitigate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.
It also includes featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.
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For a complete list of 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Award Winners, begin HERE.
For more information on All Things American Security Today, as well as the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
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