WORLD / America |
Former CIA No. 3 official indicted(AP)Updated: 2007-02-14 10:05 SAN DIEGO - The CIA's former No. 3 official was indicted Tuesday on suspicion of accepting lavish vacations, helicopter rides and private jet flights from a defense contractor who was also charged.
Foggo is the highest-ranking CIA officer to be charged with crimes allegedly committed while working for the agency. The charges stem from the same investigation that sent former US Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham to prison last year. The indictment said that Wilkes paid for Foggo and his family to join Wilkes and his family on a vacation in Scotland in August 2003, doling out $12,000 for private jet flights, $4,000 for a helicopter ride to play golf and $44,000 for a stay at an estate. Foggo is accused of arranging that fall for one of Wilkes' companies to be a middleman in selling bottled water to the CIA. In December 2003, Wilkes introduced Foggo at a party at Wilkes' headquarters in Poway, Calif., as a future executive. Wilkes paid $32,000 for Foggo to join him on a vacation to Hawaii in December 2003 and January 2004, the indictment charges. Foggo and Wilkes, both 52, are accused of making illegal money transfers of $815,000 in government contract funds from a Virginia shell company to Wilkes' companies. Foggo and Wilkes could each be punished by up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Mark MacDougall, an attorney for Foggo, and Mark Geragos, an attorney for Wilkes, did not return calls seeking comment. CIA Director Michael Hayden said the agency assisted federal prosecutors. He
wrote to employees: "That cooperation continues today.
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