Former Dem IT staffer strikes deal to return from Pakistan and face charges in US

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A former IT staffer for House Democrats who's been in Pakistan for months has struck a deal with federal prosecutors, agreeing to return to the U.S. and face charges.

Hina Alvi, who along with her husband Imran Awan worked for House Democrats and now faces bank fraud and conspiracy charges, had left with her children for her native Pakistan while under federal investigation.

Both defendants reportedly worked at one time for Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. Awan separately worked for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., until he was arrested in July at Dulles airport in Virginia trying to board a plane to Pakistan, where his wife already was.

But court documents show Alvi has agreed to return to the U.S. and face an arraignment as early as Oct. 6, when her husband is scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing.

Documents filed in federal court Wednesday outline the terms of her return.

“Counsel represented that defendant Alvi will turn in her passport(s) when she returns to the United States, and that she will not seek to book any international travel following her appearance in the United States,” the documents said.

Imran Awan, who remains in the U.S., entered a not guilty plea last week.

That was after a grand jury returned an indictment last month in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia charging the couple with a total of four charges.

Awan and other IT aides for House Democrats have been on investigators’ radar for months over concerns of possible double-billing, alleged equipment theft, and access to sensitive computer systems. Most lawmakers fired Awan in February, but Schultz had kept him on until his arrest in July.

The indictment itself addresses separate allegations that Awan and his wife engaged in a conspiracy to obtain home equity lines of credit from the Congressional Federal Credit Union by giving false information about two properties – and then sending the proceeds to individuals in Pakistan.

After Awan was arrested at Dulles airport in Virginia, attorney Christopher Gowen told Fox News  that federal authorities have no evidence of misconduct by Awan relating to his IT duties.