Kennewick Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring to Obstruct an Official Proceeding

Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Mohammed Naji Al-Jibory, age 54, of Kennewick, Washington was sentenced after having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Al-Jibory to a 10-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.

According to court documents, in February 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) opened an official investigation into allegations that several individuals were involved in a scheme to defraud insurance companies and obtain money and property by staging automobile accidents and filing false and fraudulent claims with insurance companies.  The FBI investigation expanded to an investigation by a federal grand jury empaneled in the Eastern District of Washington.  In May 2020, the FBI executed warrants to search several residences in Washington and California for evidence of federal crimes.

In September 2020, when interviewed by the FBI, Al-Jibory falsely accused an FBI agent and another individual he and Ali Abed Yaser suspected of being an FBI informant of soliciting approximately a $20,000 bribe from a third person to make the case go away.  In doing so, Al-Jibory engaged in misleading conduct toward the FBI agents with the intention of hindering, delaying, and preventing communication about their criminal activities to federal officers and a judge of the United States.  Al-Jibory also attempted to corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede a federal grand jury proceeding and a criminal proceeding before a judge and court of the United States.

Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington said, “Obstructing official proceedings by falsely accusing a federal agent of bribery will not be tolerated.  I commend the efforts of the law enforcement officers who investigated this case.” 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.  This case is being prosecuted by George J.C. Jacobs, III, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

4:21-CR-6042-MKD-23