An FBI agent assigned to the agency’s Atlanta Division is under investigation for allegedly receiving cash and gifts\u00a0from a Bureau\u00a0informant and influencing a\u00a0local murder investigation says investigative\u00a0reporter BRIAN ROSS.\u00a0 Seen on ABC’s Nightline News, ROSS said the informant–MANI CHULPAYEV–told investigators\u00a0he gave the agent cash, jewelry and other expensive items, including several extremely valuable luxury cars for the agent’s personal use.<\/p>\n
Asked about the allegations, GEORGE PLUMIDES–an attorney representing CHULPAYEV–said “the agent obstructed\u00a0a murder investigation.”\u00a0 ROSS said he confirmed both the FBI’s Inspection Division and the Justice Department’s Inspector General were looking into the allegations and identified DANTE JACKSON as the agent under investigation.\u00a0 The story concerning CHULPAYEV reportedly came to light as a result\u00a0of\u00a0JACKSON trying “to\u00a0get local police and detectives to leave CHULPAYEV alone,”\u00a0alerting officials\u00a0and causing\u00a0investigators to take a second look\u00a0at\u00a0the murder.<\/p>\n
ROSS said the murder investigation concerned MELVIN VERNELL III, age-19, also known as rapper LIL PHAT whom authorities suspected was killed by CHULPAYEV and two associates in\u00a02012, as a result of dispute involving “drugs and other business dealings.”\u00a0 ROSS\u00a0states Fulton County, Georgia prosecutors\u00a0said CHULPAYEV orchestrated the “hit,” using two close associates causing officials to return charges\u00a0alleging murder,\u00a0weapons\u00a0and street gang activity.\u00a0 PHAT was murdered outside an Atlanta hospital waiting\u00a0for his fianc\u00e9e who was giving birth to their child.<\/p>\n
An informant for the FBI\u00a0for\u00a0almost 10-years, according to the reporter, CHULPAYEV was twice able to\u00a0avoid long prison terms because of his cooperation.\u00a0 He said he also learned agents once tried to divert local cops from investigating allegations\u00a0the informant was selling stolen luxury cars.\u00a0 Making contact with\u00a0someone ripped off by the mobster turned “good-fellow,” ROSS said TRAVIS JONES told him when he\u00a0filed a theft report with police, he was told by\u00a0one\u00a0detective\u00a0CHULPAYEV was under the FBI’s protective umbrella.<\/p>\n
Investigating allegations, ROSS reported when an ABC News’ Atlanta affiliate confronted CHULPAYEV earlier in the year,\u00a0the local reporter making the inquiry later received a telephone call from an FBI agent inquiring why the reporter was interested in CHULPAYEV.\u00a0\u00a0 A journalist for more than 32-years, WSB-TV reporter JIM STRICKLAND\u00a0said the telephone call suggested CHULPAYER was plenty close to the FBI and he thought the telephone call from the agent asking about his inquiry was extremely unusual.<\/p>\n
According to\u00a0CHULPAYEV’s attorney, he said the\u00a0agent asked for the gifts and $3500 in cash, during the\u00a0time when CHULPAYEV was under investigation for the murder.<\/p>\n
As reflected in the ATTORNEY GENERAL GUIDELINES\u00a0<\/strong>regarding the use of FBI Confidential Human Sources [CHS]<\/strong>, issued by Attorney General ALBERTO R. GONZALES,\u00a0dated December 13, 2006, in section captioned, “Prohibited Transactions and Relationships,” it states DOJ personnel are prohibited from engaging in “any business or financial transactions with a Confidential Human Source,” including the exchanging of gifts and providing and\/or receiving anything of more than nominal value when operating a CHS.\u00a0 As noted in ROSS’ report–making contact with an agency\u00a0spokesperson–the FBI said the it’s policy\u00a0concerning prohibited transactions<\/em> “could not be more clear.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An FBI agent assigned to the agency’s Atlanta Division is under investigation for allegedly receiving cash and gifts\u00a0from a Bureau\u00a0informant [Read More »]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[23,28,22,18,26,15,21,24,16,20,27,30,31,25,17,14,19,29],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n