Ex-CIA official facing sex charge arrested in Virginia after missing court appearance

Ex-CIA official facing sex charge arrested in Va.

RICHMOND, Va. — A former CIA station chief awaiting trial for the alleged sexual assault of an unconscious woman in Algiers has been arrested in Norfolk after failing to appear at a court hearing, city and federal authorities said Tuesday.

Andrew Marvin Warren of Norfolk was arrested without incident Monday afternoon at a motel in the city, according to the Norfolk Police Department. Federal marshals and State Department security personnel assisted in the arrest.

City police said in a news release that a handgun was recovered. Warren and the gun were both turned over to federal authorities.

A bench warrant was issued for Warren, 42, after he failed to show up for last Wednesday’s status hearing in federal court in the District of Columbia. Police said investigators received information that Warren was in the Norfolk area and began looking for him over the weekend. They found him staying at a Ramada Limited.

It was unclear why Warren skipped the hearing and why he was staying at the motel in his hometown.

“We look forward to the opportunity to speak with Andrew, and we’re just glad he’s safe,” said Billy Martin, one of Warren’s attorneys. He declined further comment.

A D.C. federal grand jury indicted Warren on one count of sexual deviance last year. According to court papers, two Algerian women claimed they were sexually assaulted by Warren at a home the U.S. government provided for him in Algiers in 2008. One said she was drinking when she became ill and passed out. She awoke believing she had had intercourse, but with no memory of having done so.

The Justice Department said the residence in Algiers is part of the “special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States,” which makes the federal court in D.C. the proper venue for the case.

Warren had been assigned to Algiers since 2007. He was removed in October 2008.

The indictment says the alleged victim was assaulted while she was unconscious.

Warren’s trial is scheduled for June 21. He could face life in prison if convicted.