On Wednesday, the FBI conducted a raid at the New York residence of Scott Ritter, a former United Nations weapons inspector, as part of a federal investigation. According to WNYT, FBI spokeswoman Sarah Ruane confirmed the search but did not disclose further details.
The search began in the early afternoon, with witnesses observing agents photographing and examining vehicles on Ritter’s property. Both marked and unmarked police cars were present, and Ritter was reportedly not at home during the operation.
Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department revoked Ritter’s passport. He was stopped by Customs and Border Protection officers at John F. Kennedy Airport as he attempted to fly to Russia, and his passport was subsequently seized.
Ritter, who resigned from his role as the chief weapons inspector in Iraq in 1998, criticized the Clinton administration and the United Nations for insufficient weapons inspections. In 2011, Ritter was convicted on several charges stemming from a child sex sting operation.
He was found guilty of indecent exposure and felony charges including unlawful conduct with a minor, criminal use of a communications device, and criminal attempt to corrupt a minor.
During his trial, a video showed Ritter performing a sexual act for someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl named “Emily,” who was actually an undercover detective. Ritter was sentenced to five and a half years in prison and was released on parole in December 2014.
The reasons behind the current federal investigation and raid on Ritter’s home remain unknown, but they highlight ongoing legal scrutiny of the former inspector.
