District of Minnesota
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former Payroll Service Provider Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS—Today in federal court, Mohamed Abdi, a former payroll service provider, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. Abdi, who was indicted on April 9, 2012, entered his plea before United States District Judge John R. Tunheim.From January 1, 2005 through June 2007, Abdi was the sole owner of Siham Solutions, Inc., which provided payroll services to clients in Minnesota. These services included paying federal income and employment taxes withheld from employees of Siham’s clients to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) on a quarterly basis. In his plea agreement, Abdi acknowledged that from the first quarter of 2005 through the second quarter of 2007, he received between $80,000 and $200,000 of payments from clients that were supposed to be paid to the IRS. Instead, Abdi used the money received from his clients for his own purposes.
In particular, during the third quarter of 2006, Abdi received $3,817.12 from a Siham client, United Care Inc., which he agreed to pay to the IRS on United Care’s behalf on October 15, 2006. Instead, Abdi took the money and used it for other purposes.
For his offenses, Abdi faces a potential maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, as well as possible fines and an order of restitution. Judge Tunheim will determine his sentence at a future hearing, not yet scheduled.
This case is the result of an investigation by the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael L. Cheever.
Per U.S. Department of Justice policy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is not allowed to provide the age and city of residence for defendants charged in criminal tax cases.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Providing Support to Somali-based Terrorist GroupRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS – Earlier today in federal court, a 27-year-old man from Westerville, Ohio,
pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide money and personnel to al-Shabaab, a designated foreign
terrorist organization based in Somalia. Ahmed Hussein Mahamud, formerly of Eden Prairie,
Minnesota, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign
terrorist organization. Mahamud, who was indicted on June 7, 2011, entered his plea before
United States District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis.
In his plea agreement, Mahamud admitted that from 2008 through February of 2011, he
conspired with others to provide money and people to al-Shabaab, a U.S.-designated foreign
terrorist organization, in its fight against the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia
(“TFG”) and the Ethiopian military, which supports the TFG. The defendant also admitted that
he and his co-conspirators raised money from the Somali-American community in Minnesota
under false pretenses to pay for men in Minnesota to travel to Somalia to join al Shabaab.
Specifically, the defendant and his co-conspirators claimed the money raised would be used for a
local mosque or to help orphans in Somalia. In fact, the money collected was used to purchase
airline tickets and to pay other expenses so men could travel from Minnesota to Somalia to join
al-Shabaab.
Further, Mahamud admittedly sent money via wire transfers to a co-conspirator in Somalia,
knowing the money would be used to purchase weapons or otherwise support al-Shabaab.
Court documents indicate that since September of 2007, approximately 20 young men have
left the Minneapolis area for Somalia, where they have trained with al-Shabaab. The charges
against Mahamud stem from an ongoing, three-year investigation into that activity. To date, 18
people have been charged in the District of Minnesota in unsealed indictments or criminal
complaints. Eight of those individuals have been arrested in the U.S. or overseas; of these eight, seven have pleaded guilty to related charges. Of the remaining ten defendants, eight are at large
and believed to be abroad, while two others are believed to have died in Somalia. The charge
levied against Mahamud carries a potential maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A
federal judge will determine the actual sentence at a hearing not yet scheduled.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force (“JTTF”),
with assistance from the FBI’s JTTF in Columbus, Ohio. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S.
Attorneys Charles J. Kovats, Jr. and John Docherty and Trial Attorney William M. Narus of the
Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.Two Minnesota Women Convicted of Providing Material Support to Al-ShabaabRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in the District of Minnesota, a jury found two Rochester, Minn., women guilty of providing material support to al-Shabaab, a designated terrorist organization.
Following a 10-day trial, the jury convicted Amina Farah Ali, 35, and Hawo Mohamed Hassan, 64, both naturalized U.S. citizens from Somalia, of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization. In addition, Ali was convicted of 12 counts of providing material support to al-Shabaab, while Hassan was also convicted of two counts of making false statements to authorities.
Ali was detained by authorities following today's verdict. Hassan was also detained but will be shortly transferred to a half-way house.
The evidence admitted at trial established that the defendants provided support to al-Shabaab from Sept. 17, 2008, through July 19, 2010. Specifically, the evidence established that Ali communicated by telephone with al-Shabaab members in Somalia who requested financial assistance for al-Shabaab. Ali, Hassan and others raised money for al-Shabaab by soliciting funds door-to-door in Somali communities in Minneapolis, Rochester, and other cities in the United States and Canada. In addition, the defendants raised money by participating in teleconferences that featured speakers who encouraged donations to support al-Shabaab. Ali also raised funds under the false pretense that the funds were for the poor and needy.
Ali and others then transferred funds to al-Shabaab through various money remittance companies. Ali and others used false names to identify the recipients of the funds in order to conceal that the funds were being provided to al-Shabaab. The indictment lists 12 money transfers directed to al-Shabaab by Ali.
The defendants and others committed several overt acts in order to carry out the fund-raising conspiracy. For example, on Oct. 26, 2008, Ali hosted a teleconference during which an unindicted co-conspirator told listeners that it was not the time to help the poor and needy in Somalia; rather, it was time to give to the mujahidin. Ali and Hassan recorded $2,100 in pledges at the conclusion of the teleconference. On Feb. 10, 2009, Ali conducted another fund-raising teleconference during which she told listeners to "forget about the other charities" and focus on "the jihad."
On July 14, 2009, the day after the FBI executed a search warrant at her home, Ali telephoned her primary al-Shabaab contact, saying, "I was questioned by the enemy here . . . . they took all my stuff and are investigating it . . . do not accept calls from anyone." In addition, when Hassan was questioned by agents in an investigation involving international terrorism, she made false statements.
For their crimes, the defendants face a potential maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for the charge of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization. Ali also faces a potential 15 years for each count of providing material support to a terrorist organization, while Hassan faces a potential eight years for each count of making a false statement. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis will determine their sentences at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Paulsen and Steven Ward of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department's National Security Division.