An Iraqi national who misrepresented himself as an U.S. intelligence officer in a letter to the prime minister of Iraq pleaded guilty Tuesday to unlawfully using the official insignia of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Wathiq Al-Ibraheemi, 34, entered the plea to the misdemeanor during his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland.

Al-Ibraheemi had served as an interpreter for the U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq about 10 to 12 years ago.

In 2009, he immigrated to the United States, sponsored by an Army officer with whom he had worked in Iraq, under the U.S. Significant Public Benefit Parole Program. The program allows the secretary of homeland security to temporarily admit foreign nationals into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.

Al-Ibraheemi lived with the U.S. officer and his family. In 2012, he moved with the officer to Oregon, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gabriel.

On Nov. 8, 2015, Al-Ibraheemi either wrote or caused to be written a letter to the Iraqi prime minister using a false letterhead that contained the insignia of the national intelligence office, the prosecutor said.

Al-Ibraheemi, appearing with defense lawyer Colin Hunter, initially told U.S. District Judge Michael A. Mosman that he "didn't know at the time'' that possessing the official insignia was illegal.

"Now I do know it, and am taking full responsibility,'' Al-Ibraheemi told the judge.

But that statement wasn't sufficient under the plea agreement, the prosecutor said. An element of the crime is that the defendant knew the offense was illegal at the time he committed it, Gabriel said.

Al-Ibraheemi quietly conferred with his defense lawyer.

The judge asked the defendant again if he knew what he did was illegal.

"I know at the time I shouldn't have downloaded it, possessed it, yes,'' Al-Ibraheemi said. "I'm not an expert in the law, even close.''

Mosman continued, "But you understand you were not authorized to have it?

"Yes sir,'' Al-Ibraheemi replied.

The prosecutor declined to say why Al-Ibraheemi sent the letter to the Iraqi prime minister or divulge its contents.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after 9/11 to coordinate 17 foreign, military and domestic intelligence agencies in defense of the country and United States interests abroad.

Al-Ibraheemi will be sentenced on March 13. The maximum penalty is six months in prison, a $5,000 fine and five years of probation. He remains out of custody.

Under the plea deal, both sides will recommend Al-Ibraheemi face one year of probation.

He's currently a legal permanent resident of the United States and has taken steps to minimize any potential consequence to his immigration status, his lawyer told the court.

The judge, though, sought to make it clear to Al-Ibraheemi that there's still a "remote possibility'' that his plea could affect his immigration status.

"I hope not,'' Al-Ibraheemi replied, " but yes sir.''

An unrelated state case in Pennsylvania, in which Al-Ibraheemi is expected to enter a diversion program, will be resolved with this global plea, his lawyer said. In Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Al-Ibraheemi was charged with falsely incriminating another, reporting an offense that did not occur and making a false statement to authorities. He was arrested on July 25, 2016, court records show.

He has prior addresses from Eagle River, Alaska; and Elkton and Eugene, Oregon. Most recently, he's been living in Beaverton, Oregon.

Al-Ibraheemi waived his right to an appeal in the federal case.

Oregonian news researcher Lynne Palombo contributed to this story.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian