He was subsequently revealed to be alive. On December 12, 2013, the Associated Press reported that their investigations revealed that Levinson had been working for the CIA, contradicting the U.S.’s statement that he was not an employee of the government at the time of his capture. [ Wikipedia ]

He disappeared on March 9, 2007, when visiting Iran’s Kish Island while supposedly researching a cigarette smuggling case. U.S. officials believed Levinson had been arrested by Iranian intelligence officials to be interrogated and used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Washington. But as every lead fizzled and Iran repeatedly denied any involvement in his disappearance, many in the U.S. government believed Levinson was probably dead.

Robert Alan “Bob” Levinson (born March 10, 1948) is an American former Drug Enforcement Administrationand Federal Bureau of Investigation agent believed to be currently held as a hostage by the government of Iran.

TIMELINE

1970s – Levinson is hired by the FBI after six years with the Drug Enforcement Agency.

1998 – Levinson retires from the FBI.

1998-2007 – Levinson works as a private investigator.

2006 – Levinson is hired as a contractor by Tim Sampson, head of the Illicit Finance Group within the Office of Transnational Issues at the CIA, to write reports for the agency. The contract is for approximately $85,000. Three CIA employees, including Sampson, later lose their jobs for overstepping their authority as analysts and withholding information about Levinson after he disappeared.

March 8-9, 2007 – According to State Department officials, Levinson travels to Kish Island in Iran and checks into a hotel. Reportedly,