SAN FRANCISCO — A former Twitter worker was convicted on Tuesday by a jury in federal court docket of six costs associated to accusations that he spied on the corporate’s customers for Saudi Arabia.
Whereas at Twitter, Ahmad Abouammo, 44, managed media partnerships within the Center East and North Africa. He developed relationships with outstanding people within the area, receiving lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} and a luxurious watch from a prime adviser to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. In return, prosecutors mentioned, he shared the private consumer data of dissidents with Saudi officers.
The jury convicted Mr. Abouammo of two counts of wire fraud or conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of cash laundering, one depend of falsifying information and one depend of performing as an agent of a overseas authorities with out correctly disclosing that work. It discovered Mr. Abouammo not responsible on 5 counts of wire fraud or conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Mr. Abouammo’s trial concluded on Thursday, and the jury of six males and 5 girls took 17 hours to achieve a verdict.
Mr. Abouammo was arrested in 2019. Ali Alzabarah, one other former Twitter worker who was additionally charged within the scheme, fled the nation earlier than he could possibly be arrested. A number of of the costs of which Mr. Abouammo was acquitted had been associated to communications between Mr. Alzabarah and Saudi officers, suggesting that the jury was not satisfied that Mr. Abouammo influenced his co-worker’s actions.
Prosecutors described Mr. Abouammo as a mole who offered his entry to private consumer data to Saudi Arabia. Saudi representatives paid Mr. Abouammo to amass and share details about political dissidents and different Twitter customers, prosecutors mentioned.
“Energy. Greed. Lies. You heard this story, advised by the proof, right here on this courtroom,” mentioned Eric Cheng, an assistant U.S. lawyer, throughout closing statements.
Legal professionals for Mr. Abouammo described him as merely a Twitter worker who had been doing his job. Prosecutors had not related Mr. Abouammo’s accessing data and receiving funds with precise sharing of that data, his attorneys mentioned.
“Even in the event you assume Mr. Abouammo presumably or most likely did it, you have to vote not responsible,” mentioned Angela Chuang, a federal public defender who represents Mr. Abouammo and a lead lawyer within the case, throughout closing statements.