U.S. Muslim Activist Pleads Guilty
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Friday, July 30, 2004
ALEXANDRIA, Va. A prominent U.S. Muslim activist who said
he participated in a Libyan plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's
crown prince pleaded guilty Friday to unrelated illegal business
deals with Libya.
Abdurahman Alamoudi, 52, pleaded guilty to engaging in
prohibited transactions with a foreign country, unlawful
procurement of citizenship and impeding administration of the
Internal Revenue Service.
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Sentencing was set for Oct. 15 in U.S. District Court. Alamoudi
faces up to 23 years in prison.
Alamoudi, a founder of American Muslim Council and related
American Muslim Foundation, has said he participated in an
assassination plot by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi against Crown
Prince Abdullah but was never charged. No such plot was carried
out.
Friday's guilty plea was unrelated to the alleged scheme, but
court documents indicate that his punishment will be increased
because he intended to participate in a murder plot related to
terrorism.
A 20-page statement of facts contained in the plea agreement
outlines the plot and Alamoudi's participation in it.
His lawyer, Stanley Cohen, said the government conceded that
Alamoudi's role was "minimal" and that he was unaware of much of the
conspiracy.
Libyan government officials told Alamoudi in March 2003 that
Gaddafi was upset at the way he was treated by the crown prince and
wanted to punish the Saudis, according to the statement of facts to
which Alamoudi agreed.
Alamoudi was initially indicted on 18 counts last year, and more
charges were added in March.
Prosecutors say he violated U.S. sanctions against Libya in
August 2003 when he received $340,000 in sequential U.S. currency
from a group called the World Islamic Call Society, which the
indictment says is controlled by the Libyan government.
The indictment also alleges that he sought to launder the money
and that he made false statements to federal agents, including
concealment of his affiliation with Mousa Abu Marzook, a leader of
the militant group Hamas, which the government has designated a
terrorist organization.
He was accused of helping to prepare a false tax return, trying
to impede investigation of IRS laws and lying on a tax return.
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