On Dec. 3, we told you about allegations that Samar Khalil Nabbouh/Spinelli, Marine captain and gal pal of FBI/CIA agent and sham-marriage expert Nada Nadim Prouty also had entered into a fraudulent marriage. Things are a bit more complex.
Our promised update: The Justice Department announced Dec. 4 that Nabbouh/Spinelli had pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit citizenship and passport fraud. (Read the entire plea.). Justice confirmed what had been reported in limited circles for some time. Nabbouh came to the U.S. on a student visa in 1989 and in 1990 entered into a fraudulent marriage with one hapless schlep ”for the purpose of evading U.S. immigration laws.” She committed naturalization fraud when she submitted a series of “false, fraudulent, and forged documents and letters to federal immigration officials in order to obtain permanent residency status” and later U.S. citizenship. Nice. In late 1997, she used her fraudulently obtained citizenship to secure a commission in the Marine Corps. Words cannot convey …
Justice states she assisted BFF Prouty in a similar illegal union, with Hapless Schlep’s brother. Worse, Nabbouh/Spinelli acting as a reference, helped her former sister-in-law defraud the FBI. Justice reports Nabbouh/Spinelli also lied to FBI investigators.
Pretty bad? Well, Justice went with the plea anyway: Nabbou/Spinelli will have to resign her commission and face six to 12 months behind bars (not to exceed nine months — do read the plea). The fine can be no more than $250,000 for each of the two counts. Sentencing is set for early next year. It is unclear if she is facing deportation. A source tells us her military discharge probably will be an “other-than-honorable” one, which still gives her some VA bennies. (See Incarcerated Veterans entry.)
Nabbouh/Spinelli is five years from retirement. We assume, she will not be permitted to reenter the Marine Corps as an E-7 to finish out her 20 years. One Marine familiar with the case said, “We’re not taking her back. Good riddance.” We also assume she will not be permitted to join another service. The Army has loosened up on its waivers, so who knows?
The bigger question that remains unanswered: How could security-clearance investigators not catch this? It appears Nabbouh/Spinelli’s actions only came to light after gal pal Prouty was exposed. Prouty’s cover was blown only by the unusual digging she did to see if she and her sister were being watched in conjunction with Hezbollah. (One person’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter.) Prouty’s sister, another Nabbouh/Spinelli gal pal, is married to a bad guy who fled the U.S. because of millions of dollars he owes to the IRS. It has been widely reported he has ties to Hezbollah, though that group soon might become what the Irish Republican Army became in this country. Regardless, it would seem that Nabbouh/Spinelli has ties to Hezbollah. And wasn’t Hezbollah involved in the 1983 bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut killing 241 servicemembers? Six degrees of separation.
Hey, but this criminal can look on the bright side: If the U.S. deports her, maybe Hezbollah can use her as an operative. She has done remarkably well deceiving U.S officials for nearly two decades. If she is not deported, maybe a U.S. agency can use a person with her skills. Regardless, she can make a mint as a consultant.
We smell a book deal.