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# Santa Monica resident arrested by FBI under sealed warrant
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-resident-arrested-by-fbi-under-sealed-warrant/
- Published: 2003-02-05T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T01:29:42.000Z
- Author: Carolyn Sackariason
- Tags: Crime, Downtown, #archive-import

FBI agents on Tuesday arrested a Santa Monica man who reportedly is a Korean immigrant under investigation for a “national security issue,” according to sources.

The arrest is under a sealed warrant by the U.S. Central District Court and could be lifted today, an FBI spokesman said. The suspect is expected to appear today in downtown federal court.

“After the initial court appearance, the expectation is that the seal would be lifted,” said FBI spokesman Matt McLaughlin, who added that it’s not unusual for an arrest to be sealed if the investigation is on-going. “You don’t want to tip your hand as to the nature of the case.”

At the time of the arrest, which occurred about 2:30 p.m., FBI agents served a search warrant at the man’s home, located at 909 Grant St. About a half dozen agents spent Tuesday afternoon searching the home and a vehicle parked in the driveway. It appeared that the agents focused their search in the garage of the home.

Video tapes with Korean letters were found lying on the passenger’s side floor of the mini van searched by FBI agents and several Korean newspapers were found in the trash can in the alley behind the home.

The suspect’s home is one of four condominiums in a four-plex near the corner of Ninth and Grant streets.

Curious residents walking past the home on Tuesday stopped to find out what FBI agents were doing.

Farhad Ashofteh, a next door neighbor of the suspect, said he barely knows the man who lives there, but sees him on a regular basis, along with who appear to be his parents. He confirmed that they are of Korean dissent and the suspect appears to be in his mid-30s.

Ashofteh, who has lived in the Ocean Park neighborhood since 1987, said his neighbors have lived there for about eight months.

“They are very nice people,” he said. “They just say hello and I see him walking his little dog... I’ve never seen any suspicious activity.”

> “I’ve never seen any suspicious activity.” — — FARHAD ASHOFTEH Neighbor

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/020503-03_01.jpg)

(Left) A man was arrested at his home at 909 Grant St. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/020503-03_02.jpg)

(Left) A man was arrested at his home at 909 Grant St. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 5, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/020503.pdf?ref=smdp.com)