Robert Lustyik, Bribery Scheme, New York 2015

A former FBI special agent pleaded guilty today to bribery charges, admitting that he provided internal law enforcement documents and other confidential information about a prominent citizen of Bangladesh for use by a political rival in exchange for cash.

Robert Lustyik, 52, of Westchester County, New York, pleaded guilty to all five counts in the indictment against him, including conspiracy to engage in a bribery scheme, soliciting bribes by a public official, conspiracy to defraud the citizens of the United States and the FBI, theft of government property, and unauthorized disclosure of a Suspicious Activity Report.

According to the complaint, indictment, court hearings, and today’s plea proceeding, Lustyik was an FBI special agent who worked on the counterintelligence squad in the White Plains Resident Agency.

Johannes Thaler was Lustyik’s friend, and Rizve Ahmed, aka, ‘Caesar,’ was an acquaintance of Thaler. From September 2011 through March 2012, Lustyik, Thaler, and Ahmed engaged in a bribery scheme.

As part of the scheme, Lustyik and Thaler solicited payments from Ahmed, in exchange for Lustyik’s agreement to provide internal, confidential documents and other confidential information to which Lustyik had access by virtue of his position as an FBI special agent.

The documents and information pertained to a prominent citizen of Bangladesh (Individual 1), who Ahmed perceived as a political rival.

Lustyik and Thaler exchanged text messages, including messages about how to pressure Ahmed to pay them additional money in exchange for confidential information.

For example, in text messages, Lustyik told Thaler, ‘we need to push [Ahmed] for this meeting and get that 40 gs quick . . . . I will talk us into getting the cash . . . . I will work my magic . . . . We r sooooooo close.’

Lustyik is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Vincent L. Briccetti of the Southern District of New York on April 30, 2015.

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