The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that a former Acting Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under Barack Obama has been indicted on charges of alleged theft and fraud.
Charles K. Edwards, who served in the aforementioned role during Obama’s presidency between 2011 and 2013, along with his subordinate, Murali Yamazula Venkata, have both been charged with multiple counts in an alleged “scheme to defraud the U.S. government by stealing confidential and proprietary software.”
Edwards had, according to a DOJ announcement on Friday, a 16-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury.
The Charges
Edwards has been charged with “conspiracy to commit theft of government property and to defraud the United States, theft of government property, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft,” while Venkata faces additional charges for “destruction of records.”
According to the announcement, Edwards left the department in 2013 but “continued to leverage his relationship with Venkata and other DHS-OIG employees to steal the software and the sensitive government databases” for a full three years after that.
FORMER ACTING INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INDICTED ON THEFT OF GOVERNMNET PROPERTY AND SCHEME TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT https://t.co/vWj0NqO1vw
— U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) March 6, 2020
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Pursued Aggressively
Edwards’ own words from years past are especially ironic considering these new charges.
In 2012, with an announcement involving the arrest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials for “defrauding the government,” Edwards declared that he takes “allegations of employee wrongdoing very seriously” and that “those who choose to break the law will be pursued aggressively.”
Indeed, they will.
“Criminal acts within the Department of Homeland Security represent a threat to our nation and undermine the honest and hard-working employees who strive to maintain the integrity of the department,” he said at the time.
“Scandal Free” Obama Bro Acting DHS Inspector General Charles K. Edwards Indicted on Federal Theft, Fraud Charges Along With IG subordinate Murali Yamazula Venkata https://t.co/9NFhU3OKOo via @lawcrimenews
— mathewsjw (@mathewsjw) March 7, 2020
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‘Scandal-Free’
These indictments certainly put a hitch in the claims by both Obama and former vice president Joe Biden who have insisted their administration was completely scandal-free.
Edwards was forced to resign in 2013 following a report which outlined allegations of abuse of power, withholding documents, misspending of funds, and nepotism.
He was even accused of having staff do homework for his doctoral dissertation and having them review his wife’s graduate school homework.
At the time, Edwards had been seeking the permanent leadership role as inspector general overseeing DHS.
