Ex-Dem IT aide Imran Awan pleads guilty to bank fraud in deal with prosecutors

www.foxnews.com...

Imran Awan, the former IT aide to congressional Democrats whose federal court case has drawn the interest of President Trump and other Republicans, pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal bank fraud in a plea deal where prosecutors said they "uncovered no evidence" that Awan "violated federal law with respect to the House computer systems."

Interesting to me that this person was able to obtain a plea deal.

During a hearing before U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan in Washington, Awan pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a loan application. As part of the deal, the prosecution dropped fraud charges against his wife, Hina Alvi.

He was able to keep his wife from harm. Seems a noble thing to do.

The case has generated interest from Republicans on Capitol Hill, who have suggested Awan could have been involved in a cyber breach operation. But prosecutors said Tuesday they investigated allegations of misconduct by Awan while on the job in Congress and determined federal charges were not warranted. "Particularly, the government has found no evidence that your client illegally removed House data from the House network or from House Members' offices, stole the House Democratic Caucus Server, stole or destroyed House information technology equipment, or improperly accessed or transferred government information, including classified or sensitive information," the prosecution said in the plea deal. Prosecutors said the government conducted a “thorough investigation of those allegations.”

Well seems the government conducted a thorough investigation and was able to wrap this up with a pretty bow.

As part of the investigation, the government interviewed 40 witnesses, took custody of the House Democratic Caucus server and other devices, reviewed electronic communications between House employees and questioned Awan during multiple voluntary interviews. Awan who worked for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and other Democrats, and his wife faced allegations they engaged in a conspiracy to obtain home equity lines of credit from the Congressional Federal Credit Union by giving false information about two properties – and sending the proceeds to individuals in Pakistan. Under federal sentencing guidelines for the fraud charge, Awan faces up to six months of incarceration. Awan’s attorney, Christopher J. Gowen, said in court Tuesday they are seeking a probation-only sentence without a fine or restitution. A sentencing hearing is set for Aug. 21.

Probation sounds fair.

Wait a minute....from yesterday....

dailycaller.com...

A secret memo marked “URGENT” detailed how the House Democratic Caucus’s server went “missing” soon after it became evidence in a cybersecurity probe. The secret memo also said more than “40 House offices may have been victims of IT security violations.”

wait what???

In the memo, Congress’s top law enforcement official, Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving, along with Chief Administrative Officer Phil Kiko, wrote, “We have concluded that the employees [Democratic systems administrator Imran Awan and his family] are an ongoing and serious risk to the House of Representatives, possibly threatening the integrity of our information systems and thereby members’ capacity to serve constituents.” The memo, addressed to the Committee on House Administration (CHA) and dated Feb. 3, 2017, was recently reviewed and transcribed by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The letter bolsters TheDCNF’s previous reporting about the missing server and evidence of fraud on Capitol Hill. It details how the caucus server, run by then-caucus Chairman Rep. Xavier Becerra, was secretly copied by authorities after the House Inspector General (IG) identified suspicious activity on it, but the Awans’ physical access was not blocked.

what
was this part of the above investigation?

But after, the report reads, the server appears to have been secretly replaced with one that looked similar. The memo called for firing the Pakistani-born aides, revoking all their computer accounts, and changing the locks on any door they had access to. Rep. Louie Gohmert — a Texas Republican on the House Committee on the Judiciary who has done oversight work on the case — said the missing server contained copies of Congress members’ emails. “They put 40 members of Congress’s data on one server … That server, with that serial number, has disappeared,” he said. Multiple sources connected to the investigation told TheDCNF that shortly after an IG report came out identifying the House Democratic Caucus server as key evidence in a criminal probe, the evidence was stolen. “They [the Awans] deliberately turned over a fake server” to falsify evidence, one official close to the CHA alleged. “It was a breach. The data was completely out of [members’] possession.”

What is this and who to believe???

The February 2017 memo itemizes “numerous and egregious violations of House IT security” by members of the Awan family, including using Congress members’ usernames and “the unauthorized storage of sensitive House information outside the House.” “These employees accessed user accounts and computers for offices that did not employ them, without the knowledge and permission of the impacted Member’s office,” it said, adding, “4 of the employees accessed the Democratic Caucus computers 5,735 times.” More than 100 office computers were open to access from people not on the office’s staff, it said.

this is really odd and not in line with what prosecutors said in court...

The Awans were banned from Congress’s computer network the day the letter was sent, and Kiko held a briefing to convey the message to chiefs of staff for members who employed them. But Democrats claim they were never told about any of the cybersecurity issues itemized in the urgent memo. Rep. Jackie Speier — a California Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence who employed Imran and his wife, Hina Alvi — said she never heard of any missing server. Joaquin Castro of Texas — another Democratic intelligence committee member who employed one of the Awans — told TheDCNF that Kiko never told him of any cybersecurity issues whatsoever and that the Awan probe was instead described as a theft issue. Indeed, the CHA issued only one public statement on the case and titled it the “House Theft Investigation” — wording that avoids cybersecurity words while political news coverage raged about other cybersecurity issues in the 2016 election. Yet even the alleged theft has not resulted in criminal charges — even though the letter also says House authorities have “purchase orders and vouchers” that allegedly show procurement fraud, as well as testimony from a Democratic chief of staff to Rep. Yvette Clarke, who warned of procurement fraud.

what to believe
what is true???

The FBI arrested Imran at the airport in July 2017 for alleged bank fraud that occurred six months prior, and Democrats have since claimed that the case is about nothing but bank fraud. Bank fraud does not explain why the Awans were kicked off the House network concurrent with the urgent memo, which did not cite bank fraud. A Democratic IT aide who alleged that Imran solicited a bribe from him told TheDCNF he believes members of Congress are playing dumb and covering the matter up. Wendy Anderson, a former chief of staff to New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, told House investigators that she suspected that her predecessor, Shelley Davis, was working with Abid on a theft scheme, but Clarke refused to fire Abid until outside investigators got involved, TheDCNF reported. Eighteen months after the evidence was recounted in the urgent memo, prosecution appears to have stalled for reasons not publicly explained. Imran is in court July 3 for a possible plea deal in the bank fraud case. Gohmert said the FBI has refused to accept evidence demonstrating alleged House misconduct, and some witnesses with first-hand knowledge say the bureau has not interviewed them.

This guy must have some serious leverage to use with the courts.

a reply to: toysforadults

Nothing but probation seems like a pretty good deal to me. Especially when the feds stopped the guy at the airport on the way out of the country.
thehill.com...

A House IT aide working for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, was arrested this week on bank fraud charges while trying to leave the country. Fox News reported that Imran Awan was arrested Monday night at Dulles International Airport in Virginia about 30 miles outside Washington, D.C.

a reply to: shooterbrody

Like I said, he has something and they wanted it. That's how it works with the courts. If you can help them they will help you. It's all about applying leverage.

Russians or aliens or maybe immigrants. All 3 that's it!!! Expect more deaths!!

It seems the newest criminal defense is avoidance of national security embarrassment.

And the entire time Awan was servicing their server needs he was thinking, "these democrats are so STUPID".

a reply to: shooterbrody

I'd say he got a slap on the wrist but that would be hyperbole.

a reply to: shooterbrody


What's interesting is who the judge of the case was!! Judge Tanya S. Chutkar


Interesting tidbit on ole Yanya...

While a Partner at Boies Schiller & Flexner, Judge Chutkan represented Theranos, which hired the investigative firm Fusion GPS to threaten the news media. Despite the threats, the Wall Street Journal's reporting resulted in an SEC investigation and Theranos paying a $200 million dollar fine.

I suspect Trump and Jeff Sessions now know exactly what was on those servers that had Debbie Wasserman-Schultz all hot & bothered.

Looks like he received immunity from previous crimes if he pleaded guilty to Bank Fraud?

Which makes me believe that he actually has some pretty damning information on certain people.

a reply to: seeker1963

Why she had to recuse herself in one case, but not this one is strange to me.

Seems to me that she's in a little too deep on all of this to be objective.

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: shooterbrody


What's interesting is who the judge of the case was!! Judge Tanya S. Chutkar


Interesting tidbit on ole Yanya...


While a Partner at Boies Schiller & Flexner, Judge Chutkan represented Theranos, which hired the investigative firm Fusion GPS to threaten the news media. Despite the threats, the Wall Street Journal's reporting resulted in an SEC investigation and Theranos paying a $200 million dollar fine.

This woman is tied to Fusion GPS. Nothing impartial or bias to see here. How does this happen unless someone wanted it to?

originally posted by: jadedANDcynical
a reply to: seeker1963

Why she had to recuse herself in one case, but not this one is strange to me.

Seems to me that she's in a little too deep on all of this to be objective.

Her and her husband both are Obama appointees as judges! #Resist

Also Awan's Lawyer Christopher J. Gowen

“He also served as a traveling aid for President Clinton’s national and international trips. Chris finished his tenure with the Clintons by directing the advance operations for then-Senator Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential campaign.”
Conservative Review — which first reported Gowen’s extensive Clinton connections Wednesday — said they also include work for the Clinton Foundation and its Clinton Global Initiative and the Clinton Health Access Initiative.

Nothing shady going on here.....

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: shooterbrody


What's interesting is who the judge of the case was!! Judge Tanya S. Chutkar


Interesting tidbit on ole Yanya...

While a Partner at Boies Schiller & Flexner, Judge Chutkan represented Theranos, which hired the investigative firm Fusion GPS to threaten the news media. Despite the threats, the Wall Street Journal's reporting resulted in an SEC investigation and Theranos paying a $200 million dollar fine.

That is interesting.
Thanks!

originally posted by: jadedANDcynical
a reply to: seeker1963

Why she had to recuse herself in one case, but not this one is strange to me.

Seems to me that she's in a little too deep on all of this to be objective.

Yea, I would say the "fix" was in for Awan to come out on top. Wonder who in the FBI investigated? Sztrok? Comey? Perhaps questions will be asked on this too, hopefully.

a reply to: loam

Mods, how do I give this response more stars?

The audacity. Of screwing us right to our face on this I mean. Between Hillary's server/emails and the Awan/DWS servers and whatnot we have probably just endured the largest national security breech by foreign interests in U.S. history---and it all just gets a pass by the DOJ. Right to our face.

how much ya wanna bet these guys were the DNC staffers who leaked the DNC e-mails to Wikileaks?

originally posted by: The GUT
The audacity. Of screwing us right to our face on this I mean. Between Hillary's server/emails and the Awan/DWS servers and whatnot we have probably just endured the largest national security breech by foreign interests in U.S. history---and it all just gets a pass by the DOJ. Right to our face.

Yep
But Congress is going to censure Maxine waters....
So you got that one....