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Rizve Ahmed, aka “Caesar,” 36, of Danbury, was sentenced to 42 months in prison and Johannes Thaler, 51, of New Fairfield, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. In October, both men pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud.
They attempted to “obtain confidential, internal law enforcement documents and information,” from the agent. They were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti in White Plains, N.Y.
In pleading guilty, Thaler and Ahmed admitted that, from September 2011 through March 2012, Thaler and FBI Special Agent Robert Lustyik solicited payments from Ahmed in exchange for Lustyik’s agreement to provide internal, confidential documents and other confidential information. Lustyik had access to that information through his position as an FBI special agent.
Thaler was Lustyik’s friend, and Ahmed, a native of Bangladesh, was an acquaintance of Thaler.
The confidential documents and information pertained to a citizen of Bangladesh who was affiliated with a political party opposing Ahmed’s views. Ahmed requested the confidential information to help him find and harm his political rival and others associated with the intended victim.
As part of the scheme, Lustyik and Thaler exchanged text messages about how to pressure Ahmed to pay them additional money in exchange for confidential information.
Lustyik pleaded guilty Dec. 23 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 U.S. and the FBI; theft of government property; and unauthorized disclosure of a Suspicious Activity Report.
He is scheduled to be sentenced by Briccetti on April 30.
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