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July 26, 2006

US: Florida's Islamic Jihad Financier Jailed

We have reported on the case of the Florida professor Sami al-Arian, who was accused with three others of providing material support, among other charges to the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad. On November 15 last year, we reported that after a trial which had begun in June 2005 the jury had been sent away to deliver their verdicts.

Those accused with al-Arian were Hatem Fariz (pictured), Sameeh Hammoudeh and Ghassan Ballut. On December 7, the jury returned its verdict. Professor Sami al-Arian was found guilty on some charges but not all. Co-defendants Sameeh Hammoudeh and Ghassan Ballut were cleared of all counts against them, while Hatem Fariz was acquitted of some charges. The men could have faced life in prison if convicted of all the charges.

On April 15 we announced that Professor al-Arian had arranged a plea bargain with the US, in which he would agree to plead guilty to some of the charges against him, and then be deported. On May 1, al-Arian pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide services to Islamic Jihad. For this, he was sentenced to four years and nine months' jail.

Because al-Arian been in prison since his arrest in February 2002, he will only serve nineteen months in jail. He will be deported following his release.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad had been designated as a terrorist organization in 1995 by the US State Department.

But the case of Hatem Fariz remained. He had been acquitted on 25 of his 33 charges. The jury had remained deadlocked on the other eight charges laid against hm. He would have gone on trial in August in a new case, unless he made a plea deal with the US government.

Yesterday, according to the Orlando Sentinel, the New York Sun and Associated Press via CBS$.com, Hatem ariz (pictured) was sentenced to 37 months in prison, with three years of supervised probation, for his role in the conspiracy.

The news was announced by the US Attorney's office. 33-year old Fariz had pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to provide "funds, goods, or services" to Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The St Petersburg Times had quoted Fariz as saying: "It's not great. But it could be a lot worse. Guess I'll lose weight and get some exercise in prison."

Unlike the Kuwaiti-born Palestinian, Sami al-Arian, Fariz cannot be deported. He was born in Puerto Rico to Palestinian parents who moved to Illinois. He had obtained both a bachelor's and a master's degree in computer science and for a time owned a convenience store.

Fariz had moved to Spring Hill, Florida in 2002 and had worked as a manager of a medical office. He had been viewed by the court as a less involved part of the funding conspiracy than al-Arian, and consequently had been free on a bail bond since his arrest in 2003 and throughout his trial.

As a result, he is not expected to emerge from jail until summer 2009.

Last month in Chicago, Illinois, Fariz pleaded guilty to fraud and money-laundering charges related to the running of his convenience store. He had raised $1.6 million by allowing people to cash out their food stamp benefits at the store, at half their face value, without the individuals purchasing food.

Next month, 33-year old Fariz is due to be sentenced for this offense.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at July 26, 2006 7:44 PM

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