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Buffalo Man Arrested After Raid on Grant Street Deli

U.S. Attorney’s Office August 06, 2010
  • Western District of New York (716) 843-5700

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul announced that Abdo Nagi Fadel, 61, of Buffalo, New York, was arrested following the execution of a federal search warrant at “Fadel’s Prime Shop,” located at 109 Grant Street in Buffalo. Fadel is charged in a criminal complaint  with structuring currency transactions to avoid federal reporting requirements. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $500,000 or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Moscati, who is handling the case, stated that according to the charging document, the defendant is alleged to have structured approximately $3,597,241 in just over a two-year period. Federal law requires financial institutions to report transactions of more than $10,000 under most circumstances. Structuring occurs when steps are taken to circumvent this reporting requirement, such as making multiple transactions of less than $10,000, using different branches or financial institutions for multiple transactions or spacing the transaction over multiple days. A violation of Title 31, United States Code, Section 5324 carries enhanced penalties where a pattern of illegal activity involves more than $100,000 in a 12-month period. As charged, Fadel is subject to the enhanced sentencing provisions of the statute.

The arrest was the culmination of a lengthy, joint investigation on the part of special agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Lev Kubiak; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James Robertson; and the Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of  Special Agent in Charge Brian Haaser. 

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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