The Abscam Case: FBI Sting, Convictions, and Entrapment Defense

The Abscam case was a federal bribery sting the FBI ran in the late 1970s and early 1980s, in which agents posed as representatives of a fictitious Middle Eastern sheikh offering cash to members of Congress in exchange for political favors. The operation produced the conviction of one U.S. senator and six members of the House of Representatives, and federal courts upheld the convictions after rejecting entrapment and due process challenges.

How the FBI Built the Sting

The Bureau set up a shell company, Abdul Enterprises, Ltd., built around a fictional wealthy investor named Kambir Abdul Rahman. The story agents told was simple: a Middle Eastern sheikh wanted to move millions into American businesses, including projects like casinos, and needed political help — residency assistance, favorable treatment on government contracts, and similar legislative intervention — to protect what he was putting in.

To make the story credible, agents used yachts and estates to stage the sheikh’s world, and they worked through brokers who specialized in connecting foreign money with lawmakers. Those intermediaries made the introductions that eventually put elected officials in rooms with undercover agents.

Who Was Convicted

Senator Harrison A. Williams was convicted on nine counts, including bribery, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and conflict of interest. Videotape showed him promising to use his political influence in connection with government contracts. On February 17, 1982, he was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $50,000.¹

Representative Michael Myers was recorded taking $50,000 in cash. He was convicted and, on October 2, 1980, expelled from the House — the first member expelled since the Civil War era.²

Six House members were found guilty in cases tied to the operation:¹³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸

Michael Myers
John Murphy
Frank Thompson
Raymond Lederer
Richard Kelly
John Jenrette

Myers, Murphy, and Thompson each received three-year prison sentences.² Richard Kelly was convicted of bribery, conspiracy, and racketeering.⁷

How the FBI Gathered Evidence

Agents installed hidden cameras and audio recorders in hotel suites and private residences used for the meetings. That gave prosecutors direct video and audio of officials taking envelopes of cash and discussing what they would do in return, which left little room for defendants to argue their words had been taken out of context.

The daily interactions were run by informant Melvin Weinberg, who steered conversations toward the specific acts federal bribery charges required.

Why the Entrapment Defense Failed

Defendants challenged the sting on entrapment grounds and argued the FBI’s methods violated Fifth Amendment due process. Federal courts rejected those arguments and affirmed the convictions, holding that the government’s conduct did not exceed constitutional limits.⁹

Under the entrapment standard, a defendant has to show two things: that the government improperly induced the crime, and that the defendant was not already predisposed to commit it. Simply offering someone the opportunity to commit a crime is permitted. When the person is ready and willing to act once the chance appears, an entrapment defense will generally fail.¹⁰

1
United States Senate. Senator Harrison A. Williams, Jr. Expulsion Case
2
U.S. Department of Justice. Significant Cases – Section: Abscam
3
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. Members Who Have Been Expelled From the House of Representatives
4
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. John Michael Murphy
5
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. Frank Thompson, Jr.
6
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. Raymond Francis Lederer
7
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. Richard Kelly
8
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. John Wilson Jenrette, Jr.
9
Justia. U.S. v. Myers, 692 F.2d 823
10
U.S. Department of Justice. Justice Manual – Section: 645 Entrapment Elements