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Spy of the Month: March 2013Sami Khoshaba Latchin |
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Name |
LATCHIN, Sami Khoshaba | |
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Photo |
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Employer |
Travelodge, O'Hare International Airport Mt. Prospect Ramada Inn |
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Dates of Employment |
2000 - 2004 | |
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Employee Type |
Civilian (Salaried) | |
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Job Title/Duties |
Daytime desk clerk at Travelodge, O'Hare Airport. Night desk clerk at Mt. Prospect Ramada Inn. |
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Military Rank |
N/A | |
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Clearance Level |
None | |
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Spying For |
Iraq (Hussein Regime) | |
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Codename |
Unknown | |
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Spying Dates |
1979 - 2004 1993 - 2004 (Targeted the US) |
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Ages when spying |
32 - 57 | |
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Co-conspirators |
None | |
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Methodology |
Sleeper agent: intelligence officer and recruiter of collaborators. LATCHIN mailed public records to the Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS). Collected information on the Assyrian Christians and Iraqi opposition groups. Foreign travel to meet IIS handlers. Had at least six IIS handlers over 15 years. |
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Timeline |
N/A | |
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Possible Motivations, Problems |
Loyalty to Iraq, financial gain. | |
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Finances |
1998: Bought condo from brother; started refinancing and taking out home equity loans, which drove him to file for bankruptcy in 2003. Thousands of dollars in debt on about a dozen credit cards. Drove a Cadillac Escalade. |
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Investigation |
US military seized files from a building in Baghdad in 2003; the building turned out to be a safe site for Saddam Hussein's Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS), the Mukhabbarat, and the files related to IIS spies in America. Document exploitation would reveal information that led the FBI to LATCHIN, among others. LATCHIN was recruited by Saddam Hussein's Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS), the Mukhabbarat, as a sleeper agent and dispatched to America to establish himself by finding a job, gaining US citizenship, and providing information to the IIS. From 1993-2002 LATCHIN was an agent for the IIS. 1994 - 2001: LATCHIN met IIS intelligence officers in Bulgaria, Romania, Germany, Spain, Tunisia, Jordan, and Iraq. While on a trip to meet IIS officers in Jordan, LATCHIN received $24,000 from them. 1999: LATCHIN falsified US citizenship documents by concealing his IIS relationship and affiliation with the Baath Party, and lying about foreign travel and employer information. 2003: LATCHIN was interviewed by the FBI concerning his involvement with IIS. LATCHIN lied to the FBI, claiming he had never worked for nor provided information to the IIS, and that he had never traveled abroad to meet IIS officials nor received money from them. During LATCHIN'S trial, his brother who was given immunity from prosecution, confirmed LATCHIN was a spy for the IIS. Three former IIS officers testified against LATCHIN. |
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Arrest Date/Location |
31 August 2004, Des Plaines, Illinois | |
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Charges |
COUNT 1: Title 18, United States Code, Section 951(a)- Acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. COUNT 2: Title 18, United States Code, Section 371- Conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. COUNT 3: Title 15, United States Code, Section 1702 and 1705(b) and 31 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 575.201, 575.206, 575.211, 547.408 (c)(2)- Violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. COUNT 4: Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2)- Lying to federal officials (FBI) during an interview. COUNT 5: Title 18, United States Code, Section 1425(a)- Obtaining US citizenship under false pretenses. |
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Court |
United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Chicago) Presiding Judge: US District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer |
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Lawyers |
Prosecution: Assistant US Attorney James Conway, Victoria J. Peters Defense: Attorneys Mary Higgins Judge, William Theis |
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Status |
16 April 2007: Convicted on all charges. 28 November 2007: Sentenced to 4 years in prison and two years supervised release. 21 September 2010: Released. |
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Date/Place of Birth |
1946, Dohuk, Iraq | |
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Citizenship |
Naturalized US (1998) Iraq |
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Residences |
9399 Bay Colony Drive, Des Plaines, IL | |
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Education |
Unknown | |
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Family |
Wife Brother: Naji Lachin Sister who resides in Canada |
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Other Employment |
1980s: Iraqi Airways, Athens, Greece, alleged to be a cover job for his IIS duties. 1987 - 1991: Alleged to have worked at IIS HQ in Baghdad. 1995 - 2000: Service Service Inc., later bought by Huntleigh USA: Employed as a gate agent, American Airlines, O'Hare International Airport, Chicago. |
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Additional Bio |
1993: Immigrated to the United States | |
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Documents |
Sami Latchin Indictment (US District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 21 July 2004) Superseding Indictment (US District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 13 July 2006) |
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Quotes |
"That may strike the reader as a shock. How could a spy for Saddam Hussein - whether past or present - acquire citizenship so easily? According to the government, only by lying." -Judge Evans, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals | |
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