California man admits illegally working as Yemeni agent

Amen Ahmed Ali of Bakersfield pleaded guilty Thursday to illegally exporting military equipment, possession of stolen U.S. property and conspiracy to act as an illegal agent for a foreign country.

October 7, 2010

NOTE The following text is a quote:

http://sacramento.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/sc100710a.htm

Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Act as a Foreign Agent, to Receive Stolen Property, and to Export Military Equipment

FRESNO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner and David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced today that Amen Ahmed Ali, 60, of Bakersfield, also known as Ali Amin Alrowhani, or Ameen Alrohany, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to conspiracy to act as an illegal agent of a foreign government, to possess stolen government property, and to unlawfully export defense materials.

This case was the product of a long-term investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which involved members of the FBI, Bakersfield Police Department, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Duce Rice and Stanley Boone, and Trial Attorney Clifford Rones of the Department of Justice’s Counterespionage Section.

According to the plea agreement, Ali admitted that beginning in about 1987, he conspired with others to act as an unregistered agent of the Government of Yemen, and that he received instructions and acted on behalf of the Armed Forces Department of the Republic of Yemen. Ali admitted that he took official actions on behalf of the Yemeni Government in Kern County, and that among other things, he issued documents in 2002 ordering the arrest of a person upon his return to Yemen. Ali also admitted in the plea agreement that in 2003 he had conspired with another person to cause various defense articles to be exported to Yemen without a license, including bullet proof vests and chemical protective suits. Finally, Ali admitted in his plea agreement that in late 2005 and early 2006, he negotiated with an undercover FBI agent to obtain and ship to Yemen materials that he believed were stolen U.S. military equipment, including night vision goggles, satellite telephones and laptop computers.

U.S. Attorney Wagner said “The Joint Terrorism Task Force and their allies in local law enforcement did a tremendous job in this case. Securing our country, including its military technology, from unauthorized agents of foreign countries is a vital national security interest. National security is the highest priority of the U.S. Justice Department.”

The maximum sentence for the conspiracy charge to which the defendant pleaded guilty is five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing was scheduled for January 7, 2011, before Judge O’Neill.

Trial in the case of co-defendant Ibrahim Omer is scheduled for January 24, 2011.

Previously...

NOTE The following text is a quote:

http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/060907fresno.htm

September 7, 2006

Three men indicted for dealing in defense secrets and exporting military equipment
Defendants allegedly exported body armor and chemical suits to Yemen

FRESNO, Calif. - Three men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Fresno for illegally exporting sensitive military equipment, including body armor and chemical protective suits, to Yemen.

Amen Ahmed Ali, 56, of Bakersfield, also known as Ali Amin Alrowhani, Amin Al Rohany or Ameen Alrohany, and two associates, Mohamed Al-Rahimi, 62, of Bakersfield, and Ibrahim A. Omer, 40, of Fort Worth, are charged with exporting stolen sensitive military equipment to Yemen. In addition, Ali is charged with acquiring and transmitting secret defense information obtained from a government undercover agent.

The charges are the result of a long-term and ongoing investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, including the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Bakersfield Police Department, and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the indictment, on multiple occasions, between June 25, 2005 and August 31, 2006, Ali received secret defense documents from a government undercover agent. He then allegedly transmitted them, both by fax and courier, to the Republic of Yemen.

In addition, Ali is charged with conspiring with Omer to ship military items to Yemen. The indictment alleges that between January 13, 2003 and February 14, 2004, Ali and Omer violated the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations by shipping military articles, including body armor and chemical protective suits. These items cannot be legally exported from the Untied States without authorization from the Department of State.

Ali is also charged with conspiring with Al-Rahimi to receive stolen government property which was also sent to Yemen. The indictment alleges that Ali purchased military equipment he believed had been stolen from the United States Army and directed it to be shipped to Yemen. It is alleged that Al-Rahimi traveled to Yemen to broker the sale of the items.

Today, agents with the JTTF, aided by personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the United States Probation Office, executed search warrants and arrested Ali and Omer. Ali was arrested in Bakersfield and will appear before a United States Magistrate in Bakersfield tomorrow afternoon. Omer was taken into custody in Bossier City, Louisiana, and will make his first court appearance tomorrow in Shreveport, Louisiana. Al-Rahimi remains at large. Anyone having information regarding his whereabouts is urged to call the Bakersfield Resident Office of the FBI at (661) 323-9665.

“We will use all appropriate legal means at our disposal to detect, disrupt, and hold accountable those who seek to do us harm, whether they act within or outside our borders,” said United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott. “This investigation is a sterling example of effective cooperation between federal and local law enforcement agencies to protect our national security and promote public safety.”

“In this instance, the FBI and the Bakersfield JTTF, including the Bakersfield Police Department and the Kern County Sheriff’s Department have, along with ICE, worked over an extended period of time to bring this investigation to today’s juncture,” said Drew S. Parenti, special agent in charge of the FBI Sacramento Field Division. “The JTTF will continue to work cooperatively to prevent any threat to this country’s resources.”

“ICE is firmly committed to working with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in our nation’s joint terrorism task forces to protect our country from those who potentially pose a threat,” said Charles DeMore, special agent in charge of ICE’s office of investigations in San Francisco.

The counts contained in the indictment and the maximum penalties for the violations are:

COUNT ONE (Ali) - Conspiracy to Possess and Transmit Defense Information - 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine;

COUNT TWO (Ali and Omer) - Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Defense Articles - 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine;

COUNT THREE (Ali and Omer) - Attempted Unlawful Export of Defense Articles - 10 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine;

COUNT FOUR (Ali and Al-Rahimi) - Conspiracy to Possess Stolen Government Property - 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
— ICE —

http://armiesofliberation.com/

NOTE The following blog entry is a quote:

http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/204295.php

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October 08, 2010

Former Yemeni military officer pleads guilty to spying in US
One of the three Yemeni-Americans indicted for conspiring to ship stolen US military equipment to Yemen, Amen Ahmed Ali pleaded guilty today of acting as a spy for the Yemeni government in the US. The investigation started in 2003, after Ali, a “former” Yemeni military officer, shipped gas masks, night vision goggles, chemical suits and body armour to Yemen, contravening US law. And then he attempted to purchase US military secrets and more military equipment from an undercover agent. Today he pleaded guilty to acting as a spy for the Yemeni regime, -ie, purchasing on their behalf. He was indicted on that charge in January 2007.

Its the chemical suits that always got me. I thought that might bolster the claim that General Ali Mohsen used chemical weapons in the Sa’ada War. One was thought to be chlorine gas, and the other a blister agent, maybe mustard gas left over from an earlier war or something. It made a yellow/greenish cloud if I recall correctly.

ICE, 9/7/06: Amen Ahmed Ali, 56, of Bakersfield, also known as Ali Amin Alrowhani, Amin Al Rohany or Ameen Alrohany, and two associates, Mohamed Al-Rahimi, 62, of Bakersfield, and Ibrahim A. Omer, 40, of Fort Worth, are charged with exporting stolen sensitive military equipment to Yemen. In addition, Ali is charged with acquiring and transmitting secret defense information obtained from a government undercover agent.

Amen Ahmed Ali lso known as Ameen al Rawhani, was the head of the Yemeni Expatriates Union. The Yemeni government denied any connection to him, Amen Ali a/k/a Ameen al Rowhani. There are several Yemenis in the US acting as unregistered agents. They spy on and intimidate the Yemeni-Americans here. Mohammed al Rahimi was never caught to my knowledge. Five years is the maximum sentence?

Bakersfield Now Ali, also known as Ali Amin Alrowhani and Ameen Alrohany, has been in federal custody since 2006. He’ll receive credit for 30 months already served as part of Thursday’s plea agreement.
Ali pleaded guilty to conspiracy to act as an illegal agent of a foreign government, to possessing stolen government property and to unlawful export of defense materials, according to the Department of Justice. He faces a maximum sentence of five years, according to defense attorney David Torres.

According to the plea agreement, Ali admitted that beginning in about 1987 he conspired with others to act as an unregistered agent of the government of Yemen and that he received instructions and acted on behalf of the Armed Forces Department of the Republic of Yemen. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 24.

By Jane at October 8, 2010 07:31 AM

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