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, in his words, "just for doing my job."
The 33-year-old Zarrab 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 hasn't responded to messages.
Zarrab was arrested in a complicated Turkish government corruption case in 2013. He maintained his innocence, and the charges were dropped.
