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Press Release

Syrian National Charged with Stalking

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging ALAA HASAN QALB ALLOUZ, 34, a citizen of Syria last residing in New Haven, with one count of stalking in violation of a protective order.

The indictment was returned on February 5, 2019.  Allouz, who has been detained in state and then federal custody since January 10, 2017, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge.

As alleged in court documents, in July 2016, Allouz, his wife and their children emigrated from Syria and settled in New Haven.  In April 2017, Allouz’s wife filed a petition for dissolution of marriage, after incidents of domestic violence and Allouz’s state arrests for risk of injury, assault, breach of peace, and violation of a protective order offenses.  In July 2017, Allouz’s wife obtained a Standing Criminal Protective Order ordering Allouz not to contact his wife.  In August 2017, after Allouz threatened his wife, Allouz’s wife withdrew her petition for dissolution of marriage.

On February 2, 2018, Allouz was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a federal arrest warrant and order of deportation, and he was transferred from a Connecticut state prison to a detention center in Massachusetts.  It is alleged that, while he was detained in ICE custody, Allouz made multiple phone calls to his wife during which he repeatedly harassed, threatened and intimidated her.  He also made calls to other individuals during which he threatened to harm his wife and her family members. Allouz also threatened his wife and her family members in letters and e-mails.

If convicted of the charge, Allouz faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year and a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.

Updated March 8, 2019