Posted on 03/28/2002 10:50:43 PM PST by sarcasm
One of five suspects in a drivers license fraud ring was released Thursday after his father agreed to put up property, including his Staten Island home, as bond.
Federal prosecutor Tim DiScenza dropped opposition to Sakher A. Hammad's release after his father, Peter Hansen, a civil engineer employed by New York City government, signed the $250,000 bond.
But DiScenza fought a bid for bail by co-defendant Khaled Odtllah. U.S. Dist. Judge Bernice Donald is scheduled to rule Monday on that matter.
DiScenza also told Donald that the government wants separate trials in rapid succession for the five defendants, with Odtllah, the alleged ringleader, being the last tried.
Donald set a tentative trial date of May 20 for the first of the defendants.
Hammad, like his four co-defendants, had been in federal custody since they were arrested Feb. 5 with Tennessee license examiner Katherine Smith.
A criminal complaint the next day charged all six with being part of a scam in which Smith would issue driver's licenses for a fee to New Yorkers brought to Shelby County by Odtllah.
Smith, out of jail on her own recognizance, died in a fiery car crash the night before she was scheduled to appear at a detention hearing.
The defendants were denied bail at the Feb. 11 hearing after the government cited the "mysterious" nature of Smith's death as well as what they said were connections to the World Trade Center just before the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.
Hammad had a visitor's pass for one of the towers dated Sept. 5. He has allegedly told investigators that his Brooklyn plumbing company worked on the building's sprinkler system.
Hammad cried as his father testified Thursday that he came to the United States from Jordan 15 years ago and later brought over other family members, including his son.
"America is our country," Hansen testified. "We are a very dedicated family. We love work. . . . We would never think to do harm to anyone."
Neither DiScenza nor Memphis FBI agent J. Suzanne Nash offered any new revelations about the investigation into Smith's death.
But during Thursday's hearing, Nash revealed that FBI agents had found licenses and other identification from California and Utah - all in Odtllah's name - in an envelope marked "do not open." The envelope was found two weeks ago in a locked file cabinet when FBI agents searched a Memphis office where Odtllah's girlfriend, Sandra DaSilva, worked.
DaSilva said she put the envelope in the file cabinet at Odtllah's instructions.
"This whole thing is unfair. The FBI is trying to dump all of this on Khaled," she said after the hearing.
Nash testified that two driver's licenses, each bearing a picture that looked like Odtllah, were found when FBI agents examined other Tennessee licenses issued by Smith. On one of them was another name that prosecutors contend was a false identity.
Nash also testified that Odtllah had a driver's license in Utah that used the Social Security number of a dead female infant and told a girlfriend that he had a source for fraudulent driver's licenses there.
But Anthony Helm, Odtllah's attorney, argued that the Social Security number could have been a clerical error since Nash did not yet have the application Odtllah filled out for the license.
Nash also testified that Odtllah fled Utah for Florida after he was charged in 1997 with sodomizing the 12-year-old sister of his girlfriend.
Odtllah was later extradited back to Utah, but the mother of the child dropped the charge. However, DiScenza argued that the incident showed Odtllah was a flight risk on the conspiracy charge.
376 Bertrand Street Winnipeg, Manitoba
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This must have been Odtllah, I wonder why the reporter/authorities are being so coy by not identifying which one drove to Memphis from NY on 9-11?
License plot suspect pleads guilty: Will likely testify against 4 co-defendants
What was the name on the license that Hammad was procurring? That is probably the name he was living under. That or the name on his other false license, because you see according to at least one of the articles, he already had an out of state license.
I wonder how safe the informant is today. I'm refering to the one who relayed to the FBI in NYC the information about the scheme to buy fake licenses.
Nash also testified that Odtllah had a driver's license in Utah that used the Social Security number of a dead female infant and told a girlfriend that he had a source for fraudulent driver's licenses there.
But Anthony Helm, Odtllah's attorney, argued that the Social Security number could have been a clerical error since Nash did not yet have the application Odtllah filled out for the license.
Nash also testified that Odtllah fled Utah for Florida after he was charged in 1997 with sodomizing the 12-year-old sister of his girlfriend.
Odtllah was later extradited back to Utah, but the mother of the child dropped the charge. However, DiScenza argued that the incident showed Odtllah was a flight risk on the conspiracy charge.
I- 70 Traffic Stop Turns Up $300K in cash, undocumented Jordanian
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