Venue for Offense Conduct Supreme Court Case (Abouammo v. United States)

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of Ahmad Abouammo, a former Twitter employee convicted of spying for Saudi Arabia. The case will address whether the Justice Department selected the correct venue to charge Abouammo with obstructing an FBI investigation.

via bloomberglaw.com

The U.S. Supreme Court has granted certiorari and will hear the case of Ahmad Abouammo v. United States. The case concerns whether venue is proper in a district where no offense conduct took place but the statute's intent element contemplates effects there. The court agreed to hear Abouammo's argument that the Justice Department chose the wrong venue to charge him with obstructing an FBI investigation.

via bloomberg.com·supremecourt.gov

The Supreme Court of the United States granted Abouammo's petition for a writ of certiorari, limited to the question of "Whether venue is proper in a district where no offense conduct took place, so long as the statute's intent element 'contemplates' effects that could occur there."

via caselaw.findlaw.com·scotusblog.com·justice.gov·supremecourt.gov·law.justia.com

The Supreme Court has docketed the case of Ahmad Abouammo v. United States on July 18, 2025. This follows the granting of the petition for a writ of certiorari and precedes the scheduled oral arguments.

via supremecourt.gov

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed Abouammo's convictions but vacated his sentence and remanded for resentencing. The Ninth Circuit held that venue for the falsification of records charge was proper in the Northern District of California, where the obstructed federal investigation was taking place, even though Abouammo created the false invoice in Seattle.

via caselaw.findlaw.com·scotusblog.com·justice.gov·supremecourt.gov·law.justia.com

Following a two-week jury trial, Abouammo was convicted on six counts, including acting as an agent of a foreign government, conspiracy to commit wire and honest services fraud, wire and honest services fraud, international money laundering (two counts), and falsification of records to obstruct a federal investigation. He was sentenced to 42 months in prison.

via caselaw.findlaw.com·scotusblog.com·justice.gov·supremecourt.gov·law.justia.com

After grand jury proceedings resumed, a superseding indictment was returned, containing the same charges as the April 2020 information. The district court denied Abouammo's motion to dismiss the document falsification charges on grounds of improper venue and denied motions to dismiss other charges as untimely.

via caselaw.findlaw.com·scotusblog.com·justice.gov·supremecourt.gov·law.justia.com

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic halting grand jury proceedings and Abouammo refusing to further extend the statute of limitations, the government filed a superseding information adding charges of money laundering and wire fraud.

via caselaw.findlaw.com·scotusblog.com·justice.gov·supremecourt.gov·law.justia.com

Ahmad Abouammo, a U.S. citizen and former Twitter Media Partnerships Manager for the Middle East and North Africa, was initially indicted along with two others for acting as agents of the government of Saudi Arabia without prior notification to the Attorney General, and for falsifying records in a federal investigation.

via caselaw.findlaw.com·scotusblog.com·justice.gov·supremecourt.gov·law.justia.com