A federal jury has convicted a one-time Twitter worker and Walnut Creek resident of appearing as an unregistered agent for a international authorities and unlawfully utilizing Twitter data, authorities stated.
Ahmad Abouammo, 44, a resident of Seattle, additionally was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction, wire fraud, worldwide cash laundering and falsification of information in a federal investigation, in accordance with an announcement from U.S. Lawyer Stephanie M. Hinds of the Northern District of California. The jury got here to its verdict on Aug. 10 following a two-week trial.
The crimes stemmed from a bribery scheme geared toward accessing, monitoring and conveying person data to officers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its royal household, authorities stated.
Abouammo might obtain a most 10-year federal jail sentence for the cost of appearing as a international agent and a most of 20 years for every of the opposite counts.
Court docket paperwork and proof introduced on the trial confirmed that Abouammo used his place as Twitter’s Media Partnerships Supervisor for the Center East-North Africa area to take part within the scheme, Hinds stated. Abouammo was accountable for defending Twitter person data and to reveal violations of Twitter’s safety insurance policies.
Items from these with enterprise dealings with the corporate have been purported to reported, however Hinds stated they weren't. When questioned about it, Hinds stated Abouammo lied to the FBI and falsified a doc.
The proof at trial confirmed that Abouammo started receiving bribes from a Saudi Arabian official as early as December 2014. Based on Hinds, Abouammo met with a international official in London and obtained a Hublot watch that Abouammo later stated he offered for $42,000 on Craigslist. Hinds stated Abouammo started accessing the personal data of sure Twitter accounts, certainly one of whom was a critic of the Saudi Royal Household.
Trial proof additionally confirmed that Abouammo went to Lebanon in February 2015 and opened a checking account within the title of his father, who lived within the nation. Abouammo obtained entry to the account; a short while later, $100,000 was deposited into the account from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Based on Hinds, Abouammo laundered that $100,000 by sending it to the US in small wire transfers and utilizing false descriptions. Shortly after Abouammo left Twitter in Could 2021, he obtained one other $100,000 into the identical account, together with a notice of apology for the delayed fee, Hinds stated.
The FBI questioned Abouammo in October 2018. Hinds stated trial proof confirmed he lied to the company and falsified an bill for one of many funds he’d obtained from a international official.
FBI brokers arrested him on Nov. 5, 2019, and federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment on July 28, 2020.
Abouammo’s sentencing date has not been scheduled, authorities stated.