A federal magistrate judge in Manhattan refused on Monday to grant bail to a former Brooklyn resident charged with conspiring to provide Al Qaeda with computer advice and other assistance, finding that the man was dangerous and might flee. The ruling came after prosecutors said the defendant, Sabirhan Hasanoff, a dual citizen of the United States and Australia, had swore an oath of allegiance to Al Qaeda and conspired to provide the group with money and software for encrypted communications over the Internet. Mr. Hasanoff, who had recently worked in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, had also tried unsuccessfully to travel to Iraq “hoping to be able to fight in the jihad,' a federal prosecutor, John P. Cronan, told the judge. “He knew full well of the objectives of Al Qaeda,' Mr. Cronan said. “He embraced its extremist ideology and radical goals. And when given the opportunity, he jumped at the chance of joining the organization.'
When the charges against Mr. Hasanoff and a co-defendant were announced last month, Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the two men had “conspired to modernize Al Qaeda' with computer systems expertise and other services.
On Monday, the prosecutor, Mr. Cronan, cited what he called the men's technological sophistication, wealth and “ability to move money easily' as some of the “many reasons why these two individuals were so attractive to Al Qaeda.' He noted that Mr. Hasanoff owned a house worth about $750,000. Mr. Hasanoff has an accounting degree from Baruch College, and most recently worked as a group chief financial officer for a company in Dubai, his lawyer, Anthony L. Ricco, said in court.
Mr. Cronan, said the evidence against Mr. Hasanoff included a government witness “who can tell the entire story' and significant corroboration.
Mr. Hasanoff pleaded not guilty; if convicted, he could face a prison sentence of 15 years. His lawyer, Mr. Ricco, asked the judge, James C. Francis IV, to release his client on $2 million bond and a condition of home detention.
“Whatever value for the sake of argument that he is to Al Qaeda because he can travel and because he has financial resources, that no longer exists,' Mr. Ricco said.
He said 15 people, all professionals, were willing to sign the bond on his client's behalf. But Judge Francis refused to release Mr. Hasanoff, citing his computer skills and financial acumen. He also said that Mr. Hasanoff “may be motivated by strong ideological considerations,' which might give him incentive to flee. “The evidence against the defendant appears to be relatively strong,' the judge said.
After the proceeding, Mr. Ricco said he planned to appeal the ruling to a federal district judge. “This was not unexpected,' he said. “We haven't seen a defendant like him in the Southern District before, charged with providing material assistance. He's a successful businessman.'
Both Mr. Hasanoff and his co-defendant, whom prosecutors identified as Wesam El-Hanafi, were arrested in Dubai last month and brought back to the United States to face charges.
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Cronan said Hasanoff performed "real and tangible work" for Al Qaeda, tasks which allegedly included buying digital watches. "Casio digital watches are very valued by Al Qaeda," Cronan said. "They are part of Al Qaeda's tradecraft because they can be used as timing devices."
Hasanoff, a father of two, allegedly used a code while conversing online with El-Hanafi, which included "safari" as a substitute for jihad and "hospitalized" as a term for being in prison.