FBI's Top Ten Stories for the Week Ending August 3, 2007
| Washington, D.C. August 03, 2007 |
1. San Francisco: Specially Designated Global Terrorist and His Brother Indicted for Providing Material Support to Terrorists
Zulkifli Abdhir, deemed by the U.S. government to be a Specially Designated Global Terrorist affiliated to Philippine Al Qaeda affiliate Jemaah Islamiyah, and his brother, Rahmat Abdhir, a U.S. Citizen living in San Jose, California, were indicted for conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and for providing material support to terrorists. Rahmat Abdhir was additionally charged with contributing goods and services to a Specially Designated Global Terrorist – his brother – and false statements. FBI agents arrested Rahmat Abdhir in Sunnyvale, California. His brother, a fugitive believed to be at large in the Philippines, is the subject of a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
Nuradin M. Abdi, 35, a Somali national living in Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. Abdi agreed to serve a 10-year prison sentence pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement. Abdi allegedly applied to the Immigration and Naturalization Service – now known as ICE – for a travel document, wherein he concealed his destination by representing that he intended to visit Germany and Saudi Arabia for religious purposes and to visit a relative. In actuality, Abdi planned to travel to Ethiopia to obtain military-style training in preparation for violent jihad.
3. FBI Headquarters: FBI Announces Addition to Top Ten Art Crimes List
“A Cavalier” by Dutch Master Frans Van Mieris has been added to the FBI’s Top Ten Art Crimes list. The painting, a self-portrait of the artist, was stolen from The Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia while the gallery was open for public viewing. For more information about art crimes, visit Art Theft.
U.K.-based British Airways Plc and South Korean-based Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd. have each agreed to pay separate $300 million criminal fines for their roles in conspiracies to fix the pieces of passenger and cargo flights. Under the plea agreements, the two airlines agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation. It is alleged that passengers who flew on British Airways between the U.K. and U.S. paid more because of the illegal cartel. Korean Air is charged with agreeing with air cargo competitors on rates charged to customers in the U.S. and elsewhere for international cargo shipments, as well as with fixing certain passengers for flights from the U.S. to Korea.
5. Boston: “Big Dig” Contractor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Fraud Scheme
Aggregate Industries Northeast Region, Inc., the largest asphalt and concrete supply company in New England, has agreed to plead guilty and pay $50 million to resolve its criminal and civil liabilities in connection with a fraudulent scheme to deliver adulterated concrete to the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, also known as “the Big Dig.” The majority of the $50 million is intended to be held in a special account dedicated to the long term maintenance of Big Dig structures, and will also act as an endowment which will continue to generate funds during the life of the facility.
Xiaodong Sheldon Meng, a Cupertino, CA resident formerly of Beijing, China, pleaded guilty to violating the Foreign Economic Espionage Act and violating the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Meng possessed a trade secret belonging to his former employer, intending and knowing that the trade secret would benefit the People’s Republic of China Navy Research Center. In addition, Meng exported a source code designed as a defense article on the U.S. Munitions List without the required Department of State export license.
7. San Diego: Eighteen Charged With Racketeering in Internet Drug Distribution Network
An indictment was unsealed charging 18 individuals with racketeering and related charges for allegedly operating an Internet business that generated more than $126 million in gross revenues from the illegal sale of prescription pharmaceuticals. Those indicted operated an online pharmaceutical distribution network known as Affpower throughout the U.S. and abroad. The defendants included three physicians, two pharmacists, one pharmacy operator, an administrator and manager, two recruiters of physicians and pharmacies, a credit card processor, and eight affiliate website operators. From August 2004 through June 2006, Affpower allegedly received over one million Internet orders for controlled and non-controlled prescription pharmaceuticals from customers in all 50 states.
8. Buffalo: Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Sending Money to Yemen
Mohamed Q. Muthana of Rochester, New York, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of operating an illegal money transmitting business. Muthana allegedly collected money from Yemeni customers in the Rochester community and sent the money to Yemen without the necessary license from either the State of New York or the New York government.
9. San Francisco: Third Defendant Convicted for Video Taping Movies in a Theater and Violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Arshad Madhani was convicted for his role in assisting with the unauthorized camcording of movies in a theater and for violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by removing copyright management information to facilitate further reproduction and distribution of the illegally recorded films on the Internet. The movies were then made available on a warez computer network accessible to others on the Internet. Madhani is the third defendant to be convicted for camcording movies in theaters and violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the 36th copyright conviction resulting from the ongoing prosecution arising out of Operation Copycat.
10. Boston: Fifteen Arrested in Outlaws Motorcycle Club Sweep
Fifteen members and associates of the Taunton, Massachusetts, chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club were arrested on drug and firearm charges as part of Operation Roadkill, a two-year investigation. An indictment was unsealed charging the subjects with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. The indictment also charges the former President of the Taunton Chapter of the Outlaws with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.