Imran Awan, the Pakistani IT vendor of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, was arrested by the FBI while trying to flee the country Tuesday, according to a Fox News reporter.
Fox News Capitol Hill reporter Chad Pergram tweeted about the arrest at Dulles International Airport, which he said stemmed from “bank fraud” charges:
Feds/USCP picked up Imran Awan at Dulles Aiport last night as he was “trying to leave the country.” Has been arraigned. Surrendered passport
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) July 25, 2017
According to Pergram, Rep. Wasserman Schultz responded to the news by terminating Mr. Awan:
The investigative unit of the Daily Caller News Foundation reported Monday that Imran Awan and other members of the Awan family were under investigation by both the FBI and Capitol Police for “serious, potentially illegal, violations on the House IT network.” According to that report, the Awans had rented their former Washington, DC-area residence to a family while they departed for parts unknown. After discovering they had left “smashed computer hard-drives” and other computer equipment at the Lorton, Virginia home, the Awans tried desperately to retrieve them before they were seized by investigators, going so far as threatening to sue the renters.
The contents of the hard drives is unclear, but Imran Awan and his brothers are reported to have provided services as IT vendors for several House Democrats.
Pergrams tweets suggest that the central criminal violation involved embezzling IT budget money from House Democrats:
Awan & his relatives worked for Hse IT for more than decade, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars. He declared bankruptcy in ’12
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) July 25, 2017
Awan had been at center of scandal where he allegedly double charged Hse for IT equipment & may have exposed Hse info online
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) July 25, 2017
It is unclear what connection these allegations have to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s reports of smashed hard drives and laptops now seized by federal authorities. An earlier report from the same Daily Caller investigation appeared to show Rep. Wasserman Schultz prepared to go to bat against Capitol Police on Awan’s behalf, raising further questions about the nature of the computer equipment. Wasserman Schultz asked Capitol Police Chief Police Chief Matthew R. Verderosa to return a seized laptop to her, appearing to threaten “consequences” if he did not.
Awan and his family members’ exact whereabouts could not be confirmed as this story develops.
For more information see FBI Seized Smashed Hard Drives
Source: Breitbart
