A federal jury found former Twitter employee Ahmad Abouammo guilty on Tuesday of spying for Saudi Arabia, using his access at the social media company to inform on the kingdom’s critics.
Abouammo was found guilty of acting as an unregistered foreign agent, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and falsifying records, according to Bloomberg news service.
The verdict comes after a two-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. He is expected to face 10 to 20 years imprisonment upon sentencing.
Abouammo used his perch as Twitter media-partnerships manager for the Middle East and North Africa from 2013 to 2015 to hand over private information on Twitter users to the Saudi government in exchange for gifts and payments, according to prosecutors.
The information included phone numbers, device identifiers, and details about relationships.
The government showed the jury evidence that Abouammo collected a Hublot watch and $300,000 in wire transfers from an aide to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, according to Bloomberg.
The Justice Department first charged Abouammo with failing to register as a foreign agent and obstruction of justice in 2019. The government issued a new indictment in 2020 accusing him of more crimes, including wire fraud and money laundering.
Abouammo was not found guilty on charges involving his conduct with another former Twitter employee, according to Courthouse News.
Twitter declined to comment on Tuesday’s verdict.
