Former Twitter employee sold citizen info to Saudi Arabia

A federal jury has convicted a one-time Twitter worker and Walnut Creek resident of performing 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, based on an announcement from U.S. Legal professional 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 aimed toward accessing, monitoring and conveying consumer 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 performing as a international agent and a most of 20 years for every of the opposite counts.

Courtroom paperwork and proof offered 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 consumer data and to reveal violations of Twitter’s safety insurance policies.

Items from these with enterprise dealings with the corporate have been speculated 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. In response to Hinds, Abouammo met with a international official in London and obtained a Hublot watch that Abouammo later stated he bought for $42,000 on Craigslist. Hinds stated Abouammo started accessing the non-public data of sure Twitter accounts, one among 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 identify 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.

In response to 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 Might 2021, he obtained one other $100,000 into the identical account, together with a observe of apology for the delayed fee, Hinds stated.