A onetime linguist for the FBI was arrested over the weekend on charges of obstruction and lying to the FBI, the Justice Department announced Monday.

Abdirizak Jaji Raghe Wehelie, a federal contractor for the FBI responsible for translating communications recorded in surveillance of a terrorism suspect, allegedly deliberately misidentified his own voice when it was captured in a voicemail message the target of the investigation left on Wehelie's phone, according to the Department of Justice. He also reportedly made several misleading or false statements when questioned by federal agents about his misidentification.

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Wehelie, who was scheduled to make his first appearance in federal court in Alexandria, Va., on Monday, was charged with obstructing a federal investigation and making false statements to government officials and faces a maximum of 25 years in prison, according to the Justice Department, which noted sentences for federal crimes typically fall short of the maximum penalties.