US man charged with gathering files on opponents of Egyptian government
The Justice Department said Pierre Girgis used his connections with local law enforcement collect information about US-based critics of the Egyptian government.
A New York man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly acting as a foreign agent of the Egyptian government and covertly gathering information about the political opponents of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the US Department of Justice said Thursday.
According to court documents, Manhattan resident Pierre Girgis used his connections with local law enforcement to track and obtain non-public information about critics of the Egyptian government who were located in the United States.
Prosecutors say Girgis, 39, also coordinated meetings between US and Egyptian law enforcement and arranged for Egyptian officials to attend US-based police trainings. Girgis allegedly used an encrypted messaging app to discuss his status as an agent with an Egyptian official in 2018.
“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 for National Security Matthew Olsen.
