On Wednesday, the FBI raided the home of Scott Ritter, a former United Nations weapons inspector, in upstate New York as part of a federal investigation. FBI spokeswoman Sarah Ruane confirmed the search to WNYT but provided no additional details about the investigation.
Eyewitnesses reported that agents were seen searching and photographing vehicles on Ritter’s property shortly after noon. Both marked and unmarked police cars were present, and Ritter was not home during the operation.
Earlier in 2024, Ritter’s passport was revoked by the U.S. State Department. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped him at John F. Kennedy Airport as he attempted to fly to Russia, resulting in his passport being seized.
Ritter, who resigned from his role as chief weapons inspector in Iraq in 1998, had criticized the Clinton administration and the United Nations for their insufficient weapons inspections.
In 2011, Ritter was convicted on multiple charges after a child sex sting operation. He was found guilty of misdemeanor indecent exposure and several felonies, including unlawful conduct with a minor and criminal use of a communications device.
The prosecution presented video evidence during his trial showing Ritter performing a sexual act for someone he thought was a 15-year-old girl named “Emily,” who was actually an undercover detective. Ritter received a five-and-a-half-year prison sentence and was released on parole in December 2014.
The reasons behind the current federal investigation and the raid on Ritter’s home remain undisclosed, highlighting ongoing scrutiny of the former inspector.
