BNP leader’s son Caesar starts serving prison term for bribing FBI

The Bangladesh national, found guilty by a US court for bribing an FBI agent, has started to serve his prison term.

New York Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 21 April 2015, 09:40 AM
Updated : 21 April 2015, 09:40 AM

On Mar 4, Rizve Ahmed Caesar, 36, son of Mohammad Ullah Mamun, vice-president of BNP’s cultural wing JaSaS, was sentenced to a 30-month prison term by the US District Judge Vincent L Briccetti of the Southern District of New York.

A Connecticut-resident, Caesar, had earlier pleaded guilty to bribing Special Agent Robert Lustyik for confidential documents and secret information of US law enforcing agencies between Sept 2011 and March 2012.

He requested the confidential information to help him locate and harm his political rival and others associated with the target victim, according to the US Department Justice.

Caeser, who was out on bail during the trial, was instructed to report to jail authorities on Monday (Apr 20).

His accomplice US citizen Johannes Thaler had been sent to jail the same day, said the spokesperson of US Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York, Queliz Jennifer.

Both of them were arrested on Aug 13, 2013.

In October, they pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy to commit fraud .

FBI Special Agent Lustyik pleaded guilty on Dec 23, 2014, to all five counts against him in the indictment: conspiracy to engage in a bribery scheme; soliciting bribes by a public official; conspiracy to defraud the citizens of the US and the FBI; theft of government property; and unauthorised disclosure of a Suspicious Activity Report.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30 and could face up to 25 years in prison.