The internet was set ablaze following reports that a high-ranking Israeli government official had been allowed to leave the U.S. following his arrest in a Nevada sting operation involving children. As accusations flew, some questions were answered while others still remain.
Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, is a high-ranking official in the Israel National Cyber Directorate who was in Nevada for the annual Black Hat convention, a professional cybersecurity meeting. During his visit from Israel, he was among the eight individuals arrested in a joint sting operation conducted by Nevada police and the FBI.
‘He did not claim diplomatic immunity and was released by a state judge pending a court date. Any claims that the US government intervened are false.’
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Tom Artiom Alexandrovich posted $10,000 bail with no apparent conditions Aug. 7, a day after his arrest and before appearing in front of a judge in Clark County.
He already had a return flight to Israel booked for August 8, police said, according to the Review-Journal.
RELATED: Israeli government official arrested in child sex-crime sting, flees to Israel
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Alexandrovich was arrested during a sex-crime sting operation in which he allegedly believed he was meeting a 15-year-old girl for the purpose of a sexual act, but was met by law enforcement instead. According to the Review-Journal’s report, he said he was “embarrassed” about the arrest, adding that he wanted to take a polygraph test, police said. “Alexandrovich stated he was in shock and he needed to contact someone about his international flight back to Israel.”
On Monday morning on X, the State Department confirmed Alexandrovich’s identity as an Israeli official and denied any involvement in his release: “The Department of State is aware that Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, an Israeli citizen, was arrested in Las Vegas and given a court date for charges related to soliciting sex electronically from a minor. He did not claim diplomatic immunity and was released by a state judge pending a court date. Any claims that the U.S. government intervened are false.”
According to the Review-Journal, police reported that Alexandrovich said that he had met with National Security Agency officials during his stay.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) offered a lengthy response to the State Department’s announcement, concluding with the questions on many people’s minds: “The most concerning question is when and how did America become so subservient to Israel that we immediately release a CHILD SEX PREDATOR after arrest, with a 100% locked up case with evidence, and let him off to fly back home to Israel??”
Some internet users suggested that Nevada’s acting U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah, a Trump appointee who was born in Israel, may have been involved. However, she posted on X that the blame should fall elsewhere.
“A liberal district attorney and state court judge in Nevada FAILED TO REQUIRE AN ALLEGED CHILD MOLESTER TO SURRENDER HIS PASSPORT, which allowed him to flee our country. The Attorney General @AGPamBondi just called me outraged and she also called the @FBIDirectorKash,” she said in a Monday night post. “The individual who fled our country should have had his passport seized by the state authorities. He must be returned immediately to face justice.”
Despite the federal government’s denial that it intervened in this case, it is unclear why he was not forced to forfeit his passport pending his August 27 court date and was allowed to leave the country.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of Nevada did not respond to Blaze News’ requests for comment.
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