HOUSTON – A former Naval Legal Investigative Service (NCIS) particular agent was convicted June 13 of corruption-related offenses stemming from her relationship with the topic of a multi-agency counterterrorism investigation.
NCIS led the investigation with the help of Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) Houston, the FBI, Division of Commerce, and Division of State.
Leatrice Malika DeBruhl-Daniels, 48, was convicted within the Southern District of Texas of obstructing justice, making false statements, and accepting cash and items for official acts. A federal jury deliberated for lower than three hours earlier than convicting her following a six-day trial.
DeBruhl-Daniels was a veteran NCIS particular agent working in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. There, she met Nadal Diya, a Syrian businessman residing in Dubai on the lookout for assist in securing a visa to america. At the moment, Diya was the goal of a number of federal investigations.
The jury heard from 16 authorities witnesses, which included quite a few brokers and Diya himself. Testimony revealed that in 2017, DeBruhl-Daniels used her place to get sure advantages from Diya in change for offering data to him about his visa standing. The items included an costly birthday celebration at Diya’s dwelling, roughly $1,400 in money, and the promise of a job for her son in Diya’s firm.
The connection with Diya finally turned sexual. Throughout that relationship, she revealed he was a goal of a counterterrorism investigation, data that was categorised on the time. She additionally instructed him that her would seemingly be arrested if he got here to america.
In late December 2017, federal brokers questioned Debruhl-Daniels about Diya. Nevertheless, she did not disclose her intimate relationship with him, the items he had given her, the job he provided her son, and the categorised data she offered.
Following the interview, she additionally visited with Diya and coached him on what to say in a subsequent interview.
A number of months later in Might 2018, she left Dubai for Hawaiʻi for a extremely delicate and coveted job. Nevertheless, she quickly realized she wouldn’t get the brand new place. It was solely then she confessed to superiors and investigators about her illicit relationship, the monies, occasion, and items she had obtained and the categorised data she had beforehand revealed.
Debruhl-Daniels testified in her personal protection at trial. She claimed, amongst different issues, that the categorised data she revealed to Diya was public data. She additional tried to persuade the jury she didn’t have an obligation to disclose any of the main points of her private relationship with Diya nor her disclosures to him.
The jury didn’t consider her claims and located her responsible.
Diya, 49, Dubai, beforehand pleaded responsible and awaits sentencing.
Debruhl-Daniels is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 15. At the moment, she faces 20 years for every of the 4 obstruction counts, 5 years for every of six false assertion counts of conviction, one other eight for a false assertion with terrorism enhancement – in addition to two years for the bribery conviction.
She was remanded to custody pending that listening to.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arthur R. Jones and Alamdar S. Hamdani are prosecuting the case.