The Investigative Project on Terrorism
Investigating - Analyzing - Exposing - the threat of radical Islam
Court Case
USA v. Wehelie, Abdirizak Haji Raghe
December 2018 (Updated November 8, 2019)
Burke, VA
A Virginia man who previously served as a linguist for the FBI was charged with making multiple false statements to FBI officials and obstructing a federal investigation. According to court documents, Abdirizak Jaji Raghe Wehelie, aka Haji Raghe of St. Burk, was a federal contractor for the FBI and worked as a linguist translating communications captured by court-authorized surveillance of a suspect (Person A) in a terrorism investigation. Wehelie allegedly intentionally misidentified his own voice that was captured when Person A left a voicemail message on Wehelie's mobile telephone. When questioned by FBI investigators about this particular incident, Wehelie made several misleading and/or false statements. Wehelie pleaded guilty to a single count of making false statements; seven other counts, including obstructing an investigation, were dropped.
Case Updates
2019-11-08 | FBI Translator Whose Own Voice was Intercepted Pleads Guilty
Abdirizak Wehelie of Burke, Virginia, pleaded guilty to a single count of making false statements; seven other counts, including obstructing an investigation, were dropped. According to court documents, Abdirizak Jaji Raghe Wehelie, aka Haji Raghe, 66, of St. Burk, was a federal contractor for the FBI and worked as a linguist translating communications captured by court-authorized surveillance of a suspect (Person A) in a terrorism investigation. Wehelie allegedly intentionally misidentified his own voice that was captured when Person A left a voicemail message on Wehelie's mobile telephone. When questioned by FBI investigators about this particular incident, Wehelie made several misleading and/or false statements.
