A Muslim spy for Hizbollah in the FBI/CIA? Don't look for a lot of MSM coverage.
LaShish owner's sister-in-law infiltrated CIA, FBI, prosecutors say
Paul Egan / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- An illegal alien with links to Hezbollah penetrated the Central Intelligence Agency and the FBI, federal prosecutors in Detroit said today.
Nada Nadim Prouty, 37, of Vienna, Va., a sister-in-law of fugitive LaShish Restaurants owner Talal Chahine, pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiracy to defraud the United States, unauthorized computer access, and naturalization fraud.
According to an information unsealed today, Lebanese-born Prouty gained U.S. citizenship in 1994 through a fraudulent marriage, joined the FBI's Washington Field Office as special agent in 1999 and joined the CIA in June, 2003.
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She resigned her CIA post, described as "mid-level," last week, officials said.
Chahine, a fugitive believed to be living in Lebanon, was indicted for tax evasion in 2006 and accused by federal agents of supporting Hezbollah.
One of the allegations against Prouty is that while an FBI agent she went into a computer system without authorization in 2003 and obtained information about the Detroit's FBI office's investigation of Hezbollah.
"This case highlights the importance of conducting stringent and thorough background investigations," U.S. Attorney Stephen Murphy said in a news release.
"It's hard to imagine a greater threat than a situation where a foreign national uses fraud to attain citizenship and then, based on that fraud, insinuates herself into a sensitive position in the U.S. government."
Prouty, a former LaShish waitress, faces six to 12 months in prison and loss of her citizenship under a plea agreement.
The case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Chadwell.
Hezbollah, also known as the "Party of God," is an Islamic militant group based in Lebanon that has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. government since 1997.
Hezbollah, in addition to attacks on Israel, claimed responsibility for the 1983 bombings of the U.S. embassy and Marine barracks in Lebanon, which killed 258 Americans.
The Shiite group has financial ties and other links with Iran. It has political and social welfare functions in addition to military roles.
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