NEW YORK — A New York federal prosecutor has become a big name in Turkey after the arrest of a prominent Iranian-Turkish businessman.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s Twitter following soared from several thousand to over a quarter-million after he tweeted Tuesday about Reza Zarrab’s arrest. Bharara has since fielded many messages, including one offering shish kebab and other Turkish items.
Bharara replied that he couldn’t accept gifts “just for doing my job.”
Zarrab, 33, is charged with conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran by processing financial transactions for Iranian businesses or Iran’s government. He was arrested March 19. Zarrab’s lawyer didn’t respond to messages.
Zarrab was arrested in 2013 in a complicated Turkish government corruption case. He maintained his innocence, and the charges were dropped.
