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| Dearborn Man Charged With Conspiracy, Support Of Hezbollah |
| 2004-01-15 |
| An indictment unsealed Thursday charges a Dearborn man with conspiracy to provide material support to Hezbollah. The indictment accuses Mahmoud Youssef Kourani of being a member, fighter, recruiter and fund-raiser for Hezbollah who operated in Lebanon and later within the United States. Moved right up the food chain to cup-rattler. The 32-year-old is accused of conspiring with his brother, the Hezbollah chief of military security for southern Lebanon, to provide military support for the group. The U.S. attorney’s office said Kourani’s brother, whose name was not included in the indictment, is an unindicted co-conspirator. "We’ll get to him sooner or later" According to the indictment, Kourani entered the United States illegally through Mexico in February 2001, took up residence in the Detroit area and hid his Muslim identity by not attending mosques and shaving his beard. Mexico, huh? Paging President Fox, call for you... line one. U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Collins said Kourani raised "a substantial sum" and offered other support to Hezbollah. Kourani’s brother monitored his activities while he lived in Michigan, Collins said. Making sure he wasn’t having too much fun on Hezbollah’s dime. "The message we send today is clear: Anyone who provides money to Hezbollah or any other terrorist organization will face the full wrath of a vigorous federal prosecution," Collins said. Been a lot of folk tossed in the Grey Bar Hotel lately. Kourani was to appear for a federal court arraignment later Thursday. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison if convicted. He has been in custody awaiting deportation since his conviction last year in a separate case for harboring an illegal alien, said Gina Balaya, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Detroit. "Mahmoud, I’ve got some good news and some bad news for you." "What’s the bad news?" "We’re not sending you home to Lebanon." "What’s the good news?" "We’re not sending you home to Lebanon." Another Dearborn man with reported ties to Hezbollah was sentenced last week to 70 months in prison without the possibility of parole. Elias Mohamad Akhdar, 31, pleaded guilty in July to a charge of conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. RICO, it’s not just for Don Vito anymore. The government argued in court documents that Akhdar and Hassan M. Makki, 42, of Dearborn, tried to transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hezbollah. Akhdar and Makki were among 11 suspects - nine Detroit-area men and two women living on an Indian reservation in New York - arrested after an indictment was unsealed Feb. 4. Makki, who was sentenced in December to four years and nine months in Hummmmm, hundreds of thousands is more than $2000. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #8 "Indian reservations"? what the ?? |
| Posted by: Tresho 2004-1-15 8:34:29 PM |
| #7 According to the indictment, Kourani entered the United States illegally through Mexico in February 2001, took up residence in the Detroit area and hid his Muslim identity by not attending mosques and shaving his beard. This should be printed in nice, bold, italic lettering in ANY future future opinion pieces arguing against the president's amnesty plan. This is ONE KNOWN INSTANCE of really shady people sneaking into the U.S. via Mexico. Now imagine that other individuals, quite possibly more dangerous than Kourani, made it across the same way and are moving about amongst the general population, a very likely possibility. Concerned? If not, you should be. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-1-15 4:03:04 PM |
| #6 Whadda bout President Bush? He's making the call reminding Foxy that it would be a shame if that immigration bill got hung up in Congress. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-1-15 2:58:17 PM |
| #5 Mexico, huh? Paging President Fox, call for you...line one. Whadda bout President Bush? Making sure he wasn’t having too much fun on Hezbollah’s dime. Some nice gentleman's clubs up there. Would have been a shame if the splodeydope money got blown on strippers. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-1-15 2:21:02 PM |
| #4 "Indian reservations"? what the ?? |
| Posted by: Tresho 2004-1-15 8:34:29 PM |
| #3 According to the indictment, Kourani entered the United States illegally through Mexico in February 2001, took up residence in the Detroit area and hid his Muslim identity by not attending mosques and shaving his beard. This should be printed in nice, bold, italic lettering in ANY future future opinion pieces arguing against the president's amnesty plan. This is ONE KNOWN INSTANCE of really shady people sneaking into the U.S. via Mexico. Now imagine that other individuals, quite possibly more dangerous than Kourani, made it across the same way and are moving about amongst the general population, a very likely possibility. Concerned? If not, you should be. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-1-15 4:03:04 PM |
| #2 Whadda bout President Bush? He's making the call reminding Foxy that it would be a shame if that immigration bill got hung up in Congress. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-1-15 2:58:17 PM |
| #1 Mexico, huh? Paging President Fox, call for you...line one. Whadda bout President Bush? Making sure he wasn’t having too much fun on Hezbollah’s dime. Some nice gentleman's clubs up there. Would have been a shame if the splodeydope money got blown on strippers. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-1-15 2:21:02 PM |