An FBI agent has been charged with stealing from crime scenes he was supposed to be investigating and lying about his fraudulent credit card use, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
Nicholas Anthony Williams, 36, is in hot water after authorities charged him with theft of both personal and government property, according to the announcement by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani, reported the Department of Justice. The rogue agent, based out of the FBI's Houston Field Office, was cuffed and is due to face U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan.
Williams, who joined the FBI in 2019 and worked on violent gang and counterterrorism cases, allegedly helped himself to cash and other valuables while carrying out search warrants from March 2022 to July 2023. His shopping spree didn't end there; he's also accused of pocketing multiple FBI-issued cell phones.
The agent's alleged thievery extends to accumulating fraudulent charges on a government-issued credit card — all while crafting a web of lies to cover his tracks, the indictment claims. For his misdeeds, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a hefty fine, potentially reaching $250,000.
This case of fed gone bad is being probed by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Garcia and Sarina DiPiazza are handling the prosecution. Williams' day in court could see him trade in his badge for a prison jumpsuit if convicted on all counts.
