Former Texas ICE official to have new plea hearing

[October 13, 2011]  EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- A former intelligence analyst for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was expected to enter a new plea Thursday to charges that he embezzled federal funds by using his diplomatic passport for personal travel, according to court documents.

Ahmed Adil Abdallat pleaded not guilty in March to eight charges of misuse of an official passport, one charge of embezzlement and one charge of receiving about $123,000 as reimbursement for travel expenses. The government contends the expenses contained multiple fake charges for lodging, car rental and parking for trips between El Paso and Washington from February 2009 to September 2010.

The case launched an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security into the alleged misconduct and led to a high-ranking ICE official in Washington being placed on administrative leave.

The Attorney General's office would not comment on how Abdallat will plea. Abdallat's attorney, Mary Stillinger, was not available for comment Wednesday.

The indictment alleges that in March 2007, Abdallat was issued a diplomatic passport that he used for personal travel to and from Amman, Jordan. Abdallat is a naturalized U.S. citizen, originally from Jordan.

During Abdallat's detention hearing, FBI special agent Shannon Enochs testified that Abdallat's longtime supervisor James Woosley, ICE deputy director of intelligence, approved the expense reports.

Enochs said Abdallat would mail checks, wire money, pay Woosley's utility and mortgage bills and even make trips to Washington in order to leave cash in his supervisor's drawers. Woosley was placed on administrative leave after Abdallat's arrest.

Abdallat also is the subject of a larger money laundering investigation after he made three wire transfers worth a combined $570,000 to Jordan over a six-month period, according to the FBI. Authorities also linked Abdallat to an additional $1.2 million in Jordanian bank accounts.

The former official was arrested on Feb. 24 in El Paso. He faces up to 10 years in a federal prison and up to $250,000 in fines per count.

[Associated Press; By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA]

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