Posted on 03/13/2008 5:55:12 AM PDT by angcat
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- Federal prosecutors say two New York residents have been indicted on charges of trying to smuggle $500,000 from the U.S. to Jordan.
Authorities say a grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging 35-year-old Hassan Abuzaitoun and 33-year-old Mohammad Alazzam with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to smuggle bulk cash from the United States. Both are naturalized U.S. citizens from Jordan residing in Yonkers, N.Y.
Abuzaitoun also is charged with making false statements to federal law enforcement officers.
The indictment alleges that Abuzaitoun and Alazzam transferred large quantities of cash from the United States to Jordan to conceal the true ownership of the funds and evade U.S. cash reporting requirements.
The indictment also alleges that Abuzaitoun and Alazzam and others then conspired to attempt to smuggle $500,000 in cash from the United States to Jordan.
Abuzaitoun and Alazzam have been detained since their arrest last month.
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It’s good they bagged these jihadist creeps.
Sometimes violations of law are just violations of law. No need to cry wolf until more infomation emerges.
Ain’t this some Shiite?
The New York Journal News has more info but I cannot post the article.
Sure. Snap judgments can be so hurtful. Merely overwhelming accumulation of observational evidence does not necessarily constitute. That guy in the mask climbing out of your bedroom window at 3:00 AM MIGHT just be a Jehovah's witness who got lost...
Authorities said the two men concocted a scheme to move the money from the U.S. to Jordan to hide the true ownership of the money and to skirt mandatory cash reporting regulations. The two men are Jordanian natives who are naturalized U.S. citizens.
The case began when Alazzam contacted another man who participated in what authorities called credit card “bust out” schemes. In “bust out” scams, customers max out credit cards, either by purchases or cash withdrawals without ever intending to pay the card companies.
But Alazzam did not know the man was already under federal indictment in a financial fraud case and had struck a deal to cooperate with federal prosecutors, according to court papers. The man introduced Alazzam to an undercover agent who was posing as another fraud artist who was purported to have hundreds of thousands of dollars on his hands from a bust out scam.
Alazzam agreed to send the $500,000 to Jordan, according to the indictment, for a $25,000 cut to be split with Abuzaitoun. The two men allegedly found a Jordanian who traveled back and forth to Jordan to carry the cash overseas. The mule was to receive $25,000 as well, according to the indictment.
Federal authorities said Alazzam, Abuzaitoun and the Jordanian smuggler discussed the arrangements on Feb. 18.
Abuzaitoun was arrested Feb. 18 by FBI and U.S. Secret Service agents. He told the investigators that phone calls among him, Alazzam and the Jordanian were to arrange for Alazzam and the Jordanian to eat together, authorities said.
Abuzaitoun and Alazzam were indicted eight days later. If convicted, Abuzaitoun and Alazzam face up to 20 years in prison on the most serious charge. Abuzaitoun’s lawyer did not return calls seeking comment. No lawyer is listed for Alazzam in court records. The two men have been detained since their arrests.
The indictment also alleges that Abuzaitoun and Alazzam and others then conspired to attempt to smuggle $500,000 in cash from the United States to Jordan.
Meanwhile, $10 BILLION dollars ($10,000,000,000) a year in cash is 'smuggled' from the USA to Mexico and the US gubmint does .......
(((((( crickets )))))
Geee, I wonder what client number HE was?
More members of the religion of peace making azwholes of us and financing terrorism with our money.
Taking things form infidels is not considered stealing to the practitioners of the ROP.
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