USA: Lebanese woman who worked for the FBI and CIA pleads guilty to conspiracy and naturalisation fraud

A Lebanese woman who worked for the CIA and FBI pleads guilty to using government computers to gain information about the Hezbollah militant group and fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship. A Lebanese woman who worked for the CIA and FBI pleaded guilty on Tuesday (November 13) to using government computers to gain information about the Hezbollah militant group and fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship, the Justice Department said. Nada Prouty, 37, pleaded guilty in Michigan to charges of conspiracy, unauthorised computer access and naturalisation fraud. The charges carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison, fines and loss of citizenship. There was no allegation that Prouty had ties with Hezbollah and authorities do not regard this as a counterterrorism case, said an official familiar with the plea. Prouty was released on a 10,000 U.S. dollar (USD) bond. A sentencing date has not been set. Court documents in the case charge that Prouty arrived in the United States in 1989 and entered a sham marriage the following year in order to remain in the country. She became a U.S. citizen in 1994. After working as a waitress at a local Detroit restaurant, Prouty got a job in 1999 as a Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent with a security clearance, and worked in Washington investigating crimes against Americans overseas. She used an FBI computer to gain information about an FBI probe of Hezbollah, the court documents said, although her work responsibilities did not involve the group, which the United States has labelled a terrorist organisation. Prouty began working with the Central Intelligence Agency in 2003, and resigned last week. The Justice Department said the investigation is continuing and Prouty has agreed to cooperate with the CIA. kj/mr/jrc

ITN Source | November 14, 2007

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