Maumee Man Charged with Making False Statements Regarding His Knowledge of His Sister’s Terrorism Support

An information was filed in U.S. District Court charging Hellal Joseph, 31, of Maumee, Ohio, with one count of making false statements, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2), said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The charge alleges that on or about June 3, 2010, Joseph was interviewed by federal agents regarding the activities of his sister, Amera Akl (nee Joseph), and her husband, Hor Akl, in attempting to illegally transport cash overseas to Hizballah, a designated foreign terrorist organization, in Lebanon.

Hor and Amera Akl have entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court, in Toledo, Ohio, to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, and related charges. Amera Akl was sentenced to 40 months of imprisonment, and Hor Akl awaits sentencing.

According to the information, Joseph denied knowledge of, or being present during, any discussions of transporting money to Hizballah, at the time knowing that statement was false. The information alleges that Joseph, in fact, was present during such conversations on multiple occasions, including a specific discussion with Hor Akl and another person on January 13, 2010.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin E. Herdman and Thomas E. Getz of the National Security Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in Cleveland, with assistance from the FBI in Toledo, including the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.