FBI translator arrested after his own voice was intercepted in terrorism investigation

A former FBI translator was arrested on Saturday on charges of falsifying a translation and lying to investigators after his own voice appeared on an audio recording during the surveillance of a suspect in a terrorism investigation.

Abdirizak Jaji Raghe Wehelie, 66, who appeared in court on Monday, worked as “a linguist translating communications captured by court-authorized surveillance.” The Justice Department said, “Wehelie allegedly intentionally misidentified his own voice that was captured when Person A left a voicemail message on Wehelie’s mobile telephone,” and that he lied during questioning by the FBI.