Russian Probe Snags OC Businessman Indicted In Lobbying Scheme

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — A San Juan Capistrano business associate of Michael T. Flynn, President Trump's original national security adviser, was indicted in a federal investigation into Turkey's clandestine lobbying campaign, it was unsealed Monday, Dec. 17. A Turkish national was also indicted in this case.

San Juan Capistrano resident Bijan Rafiekian, 66, also known as Bijan Kian was indicted along with Kamil Ekim Alptekin, 41, of Istanbul, with conspiracy, acting in the United States as illegal agents of the government of Turkey, and making false statements to the FBI. Special Counsel Robert Mueller referred the case to federal prosecutors in the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Both Rafiekian and Alptekin were indicted in early December in a "conspiracy to violate federal lobbying rules" and making false statements to F.B.I. investigators, according to court documents.

After his Monday court appearance, Rafiekian's attorney refused to comment. Prosecutors have said that he faces up to 15 years in prison, the New York Times reported.

According to allegations in the indictment, the men were involved in a conspiracy to covertly influence U.S. politicians and public opinion against a Turkish citizen living in the United States whose extradition had been requested by the government of Turkey.

The New York Times reported that the "two men sought to conceal that Turkey was directing the work and that cabinet-level Turkish officials approved the budget for the project."

During this time, Flynn's firm, Flynn Intel Group, earned over $500,000 for its work, the Times reported.

The Turkish citizen in question is believed to be exiled imam Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania and who has been blamed by Turkey for a coup attempt in July last year, a charge Gulen denies.

The plot included using a company founded by Rafiekian to provide services based upon his national security expertise, the indictment alleges.

The indictment charges that the purpose of the conspiracy was to use Rafiekian's company to "de-legitimize" the Turkish citizen in the eyes of the American public and U.S. politicians with the goal of obtaining his extradition, which has been resisted in Washington.

At the same time, the alleged conspirators sought to conceal that the government of Turkey was directing the work.

However, not only did Turkish cabinet-level officials approve the budget for the project, but Alptekin provided the Turkish officials updates on the work and relayed their directions on the work to Rafiekian, according to the indictment.

Rafiekian is charged with conspiracy and acting in the U.S. as an illegal agent of the government of Turkey.

Alptekin is charged with conspiracy, acting in the U.S. as an illegal agent of the government of Turkey, and four counts of making false statements to the FBI. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge, ten years in prison for the charge of acting as an agent of a foreign government, and five years in prison for each of the four false statement charges.

Though lobbying is not illegal for foreign agents who register properly with the Justice Department, as per the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Kian did not register the work he allegedly conducted for Turkey.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Gillis of the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

City News Service, Patch staffer Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.