Former CIA spy in sex case says he was set up

NORFOLK

A former CIA spy from Norfolk charged with sexually assaulting women in Algeria says the Algerian government set him up in what he calls a "honey trap."

Andrew M. Warren says in a court filing that he was the victim of a scheme in which a female Algerian spy made up the sexual assault allegation to compromise his position as the CIA's Algiers station chief.

He is accused of slipping drugs into the drinks of two women, on separate occasions, and then having sex with them. Warren says in court filings that the sex was consensual.

Warren, 42, remains under court-ordered medical watch after a series of bizarre events that led to his arrest last month at a Norfolk motel. He faces a one-count indictment in the Washington U.S. District Court charging sexual abuse.

Warren now faces new charges filed in the Norfolk U.S. District charging him with assaulting federal agents the night of his arrest as well as illegal firearms charges. A federal grand jury here indicted him on May 21.

The Chesapeake native had been the CIA station chief in Algiers until the two women came forward accusing him of sexual assault. He was sent home and eventually fired.

Given the nature of the CIA, many of the court filings are sealed or heavily redacted. But some information about the alleged "honey traps" has been made public in recent filings.

In one filing in Washington, Warren says he has a witness who could testify that "the Algerian government had attempted to use a female agent against him."

Another witness would testify that one of the female accusers "was an agent of the Algerian government with the goal of compromising defendant in order to obtain information, money or favors from him." The same witness "would testify that she personally knew Algerian women who acted as 'honey traps' to manipulate American officials."

Warren asked the court to issue subpoenas to force the witnesses to undergo depositions. A judge denied the request but noted that Warren was free to call those witnesses to testify at his trial.

Warren's arrest last month followed a series of incidents that included allegations of drug use and a police complaint alleging he exposed himself to a neighbor.

When a police officer showed up at Warren's home on Vimy Ridge Avenue in early April, Warren told the officer he was with the CIA - even though he had been fired - and that he had a disguise kit he could use to hide from anyone, according to a prosecutor's court filing.

Warren also said to the officer "it will be different the next time I meet you," which the officer took as a threat, the court filing says. Warren then got in his car and drove off.

When U.S. marshals and special agents with the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service found Warren at a Norfolk motel the night of April 26, he had a gun and drug paraphernalia and tried to run away, according to the new indictment.

During a struggle, Warren tried to reach for his handgun in his waistband, but the authorities subdued him using a Taser, court records say.

The new indictment charges Warren with possessing the gun during a crime of violence as well as being a drug user with a gun. No court date has been set for him here.

Tim McGlone, (757) 446-2343, tim.mcglone@pilotonline.com