3 Allegedly Plotted to Discredit FBI Official

Three men plotted to ruin the head of the FBI’s Detroit office by falsely accusing him of leaking sensitive information to drug dealers, authorities said Thursday.

Willie T. Hulon, who had been recalled to FBI headquarters in Washington during the investigation, will return to his duties in Detroit, said FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.

Mueller said Hulon deserved praise for his “patience and perseverance” during the now-completed internal investigation.

Myron Strong, 33, and Andre Boone, 26, both of Port Huron, and Richard K. Ready, 32, of Detroit were accused in a plot that involved making false statements about Hulon during telephone calls that they knew were being monitored by the FBI. Strong was an FBI informant.

Court documents said Strong got the other men to make the false statements.

“This outrageous scheme not only threatened to deceive the government but also threatened to ruin the reputation of a career public servant,” said Christopher Wray, a federal prosecutor.

Strong and Boone were charged with witness tampering, obstruction of justice and retaliation against a federal officer.

Each of the defendants faces long prison sentences and more than $250,000 in fines if convicted.

Federal officials said Hulon’s recall had nothing to do with an internal FBI probe of possible mishandling of the Jan. 20 arrest of two brothers suspected of having ties to the militant group Hezbollah. Those charges were dropped Wednesday.