Lebanese-Born Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Charges of Making False Statement to a Federal Agent and an Unlawful Attempt at Naturalization

Today in San Antonio, United States District Judge Royce C. Lamberth sentenced 45–year-old Lebanese–born Wissam “Sam” Allouche to five years in federal prison for knowingly lying to federal authorities on his U.S. citizenship petition about his relationship with the Amal militia.  That announcement was made today by Acting United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.

Judge Lamberth sentenced Allouche to five-year terms of imprisonment, to run concurrently, for making a false statement to a federal agent and for an unlawful attempt to procure and obtain naturalization and citizenship.  Today, Judge Lamberth found that there was evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Allouche was a member of the Amal militia and had command authority over Hezbollah.

Testimony during trial revealed that Allouche, who migrated to the United States after marrying his wife, a U.S. Army soldier, failed to disclose in January 2009 to U.S. immigration authorities the fact that in the 1980s, he was a member of the Amal militia in order to remain in the United States.  In addition, while seeking a contract linguist position with the U.S. Department of Defense that required top security clearance, evidence revealed that Allouche failed to disclose that he was held as a prisoner of war by Israel.  Present and former relatives testified Allouche later made statements that he subsequently killed an Israeli pilot captured by Hezbollah in retaliation for his imprisonment. Evidence presented during trial also showed that in 2009, Allouche unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship by claiming that he was living with his estranged wife when, in fact, they were in divorce proceedings.  On February 20, 2015, jurors convicted Allouche of both charges.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the San Antonio Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Jay Hulings for the Western District of Texas.