NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- A newly unsealed indictment charges a New York City man with with acting and conspiring in the U.S. as an unregistered agent of the Egyptian government.
From 2014 through 2019, officials said Pierre Girgis, 39, an Egypt native and Manhattan resident with dual citizenship in the U.S., acted as an agent without notifying the U.S. attorney general, which is required by law.
“The Department of Justice will not allow agents of foreign governments to operate in the United States to pursue and collect information about critics of those governments,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen. “Working at the direction of the Egyptian government, Girgis agreed to target its perceived critics located in the United States. This indictment begins the process of holding him accountable for his actions.”
According to the indictment, Girgis worked at the direction of Egyptian officials in order to “further the interests of the Egyptian government in the U.S.”
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Girgis was able to obtain info on political opponents of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, officials said. He also allegedly use his connection with local law enforcement to collect non-public info, arranged “benefits” for Egyptian officials visiting Manhattan and coordinated meetings between U.S. and Egyptian law enforcement. The latter included trying to get Egyptian officials to attend police training.
In May 2018, Girgis used an encrypted messaging app to discuss his agent status with an Egyptian official, who responded by expressing frustration with Girgis for speaking to people within another Egyptian government agency, according to the indictment.
The official said to Girgis, “It is not possible to open with all the agencies,” adding that other agencies “want sources for themselves, and you have become an important source for them to collect information.”
Girgis responded, “I know and I see and I learn from you,” to which the official said, “It will not be repeated again.”
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Then in March 2019, Girgis and the same official from Egypt talked of a trip where other officials were due to visit the U.S., the indictment reads.
Officials said the Egyptian official asked of Girgis’ relationship with a specific American law enforcement officer and asked Girgis to find out “if there are any police trainings happening in Manhattan in the coming days … we would like to attend.”
Girgis was taken into custody Thursday and was charged with a count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the AG. and acting as an agent of a foreign government, and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on both counts.