Posted on 11/04/2001 4:30:05 PM PST by rdavis84
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A Saudi citizen has been arrested in an FBI sting operation for allegedly accepting bribes to issue American visas to Saudi nationals, authorities said Sunday.
Abdulla Noman, who works for the U.S. Department of Commerce issuing visas at the American Consulate in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, was arrested Thursday in a Las Vegas Strip hotel room, authorities said. He is being held in federal custody.
The FBI is not specifically probing ties between Noman and terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks, but they are not ruling out a connection, said Daron Borst, a spokesman for the Las Vegas FBI.
"There is no indication that this man's activities are connected to the attacks," Borst said. "If that information would come up during the course of the investigation obviously we would follow it, but it's not something that has become apparent yet."
Fifteen of the 19 suicide hijackers who participated in the terrorist attacks came to the United States from Saudi Arabia. All 15 had obtained American visas.
A federal criminal complaint filed against Noman in New Jersey does not mention the attacks. The complaint states that an informant cooperating with a New Jersey-based FBI investigation told agents that he paid Noman more than $3,000 in 1998 for his "assistance in obtaining an American visa under false pretenses."
FBI Agents in the Newark, N.J., field office tracked Noman to Nevada last week, Borst said.
In a sting organized with the Las Vegas office, the FBI said it monitored Noman in a meeting Thursday night with the same informant, accepting a bribe in exchange for a visa.
"It was an undercover operation," Borst said. "He (Noman) was in town on business and we took him down."
At Noman's initial appearance in federal court on Friday, prosecutors termed him a flight risk. Noman's detention hearing is scheduled for this week.
Borst said the U.S. government commonly employs foreign nationals to perform a variety of overseas functions, including issuing visas granting a passport holder permission to enter a foreign country.
As Pogo would say, we have found the problem and it is us.
I suppose if we "tighten up" on visas for Mexico, we'll use the same Excellent System.
The stupidity of this boggles the mind.
GEE, wonder what KIND of business HE was ON?
I'll tip my hat to the FBI for once. I wonder who their informant is?
Yes, and the left knows it.
The security breach reportedly occurred in Oklahoma City in 1994 -- several years before Michael Rhodes was promoted to the Tulsa position.
Rhodes, 31, acknowledged an incident took place, but declined to elaborate.
"I'm not going to go into it, because whatever happened then was settled then," Rhodes said. "I was fresh out of high school and I made a mistake and I did suffer the consequences. I took my punishment and moved on."
His boss, Vital Records Registrar John Burks, said Rhodes has done an excellent job in his new position.
However, Richard Mullins, the Health Department's former security chief, told the FBI in a secret March interview that he was "surprised" Rhodes was promoted to such a sensitive position.
"The fact that Rhodes was a supervisor surprised Mullins because in the past, Mullins caught Rhodes taking birth certificates from the Vital Records Department and selling them," an FBI agent wrote.
"Mullins saw Rhodes taking a machine which changed certificates. Rhodes put the machine and two certificates under his sweater. Mullins stopped him and took the birth certificates and saw that they had been whited out and were certified.
"Rhodes confessed to Mullins that there were guys in the rest room to whom Rhodes was going to sell these birth certificates. Rhodes told Mullins that he was going to sell them for $50 each."
Mullins told the FBI that he reported the security breach to Roger Pirrong, who was the deputy commissioner in charge of vital records at the time.
Mullins said that Pirrong directed Rhodes to go home and said he would deal with the employee the next day. Pirrong directed another employee to destroy the birth certificates that had been taken, but Mullins recalled telling the employee to save the certificates because they might be needed as evidence.
Mullins said he didn't know the outcome of any action that might have been taken against Rhodes.
A copy of the secret FBI report on the Mullins interview was obtained by The Oklahoman.
Burks said he examined Rhodes' personnel file and found no record of any disciplinary action.
Burks said he had heard office rumors about the incident and talked to a couple of longtime employees who confirmed it.
The registrar said he understands that Rhodes' mother was a friend of Pirrong.
"I think what Mr. Pirrong decided to do was have a talk with him," Burks said.
With no record of disciplinary action on file, Burks said he thought it would be inappropriate to hold it against Rhodes.
"I don't have any reason to take personnel action. He could file a grievance against me," Burks said.
Burks said he has tried to be a mentor to Rhodes and other young men in the department.
"Michael has been a tremendous help," Burks said. "He's good with the public."
Burks said Rhodes performed so well that he was moved to the front desk in Oklahoma City where he would be working with the public. Later, Burks promoted Rhodes to the Tulsa job.
"Michael has proved himself to me," Burks said. "Since this happened, he has never been written up for anything or had any problem. I feel like he is an honest young man who has had some problems in his life. That's how I feel about it. I feel very strongly about it."
Rhodes said he believes his job performance in recent years has justified the faith that his supervisors have placed in him.
"I've proven myself to the department and that's why I'm at where I'm at now," Rhodes said.
Rhodes and Burks both said they are well aware that the September terrorist attacks have focused public attention on the importance of accurate identification records -- since some terrorists were believed to be carrying false identification documents.
Rhodes said the public need not worry about him breaching security.
"If I was a threat ... I wouldn't be here now. I wouldn't be in the position I'm in now. Like I said, I've proven myself," he said.
But Rhodes hesitated when asked whether he'd give the same break to an employee under him.
"That's a pretty tough question," Rhodes said. "If I had any employee who crossed the line in any way, shape or form, he would be terminated.
"When Roger Pirrong was the deputy commissioner and my supervisor, he saw something in me that he felt like I should deserve a second chance," Rhodes said. "I took full advantage of it. Like I said, that was behind me."
Burks said security was admittedly lax a few years ago, when Pirrong was in charge of vital records.
"The thing was left open after hours," he said.
Burks said security has been greatly tightened within the last three years and he now takes a no-nonsense approach to security breaches.
"We take in about $3.5 million a year, and I take it very seriously," he said.
Six people have been fired or forced to resign in the last two and a half years for various indiscretions, he said.
One man was forced to resign after he stole $10 and threw away two certificate applications, Burks said. Another young man was fired for obtaining a false birth certificate.
Likewise, if Rhodes messes up, he'll be fired, Burks said.
A review of court records shows Rhodes has had some legal problems over the years.
In 1988, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of possessing a concealed .22-caliber pistol and received a six-month suspended sentence. This year, he has been sued in small claims court for nonpayment of rent and for failing to make loan payments on time.
"Those are just personal problems that everyone has gone through at some point in time in their life," Rhodes said. "I mean, to even dig that up, I feel like that's uncalled for, basically."
The stupidity of this boggles the mind.
Next week they will be dropping the bombs for us. In between issuing Visas and other tasks of course.
I think you got us there! Talent and Class like that is the way they Move UP in Government! Your guy is at Least Senator Material.
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