Syracuse, New York – In a shocking turn of events, Chasib Hafedh Saadoon Al Fawadi, a 36-year-old Iraqi citizen residing in Geddes, New York, was sentenced to serve 48 months in federal prison for his convictions for making false statements in a U.S. immigration application for permanent residence, and making false statements to U.S. Immigration officials during an oral interview for permanent residency.
The sentence imposed today included a stipulation for a court order for Al Fawadi’s removal from the United States without further immigration proceedings following his release from federal prison.
As part of his guilty plea, Al Fawadi admitted that in a written application mailed to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in Syracuse, New York, on June 8, 2017, he falsely denied being a member of any group engaged in violent activities.
Al Fawadi’s statement was false because since after his 26th birthday, while living in Iraq, he was a member of and affiliated with As’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), an Iranian-backed Shiite militia and paramilitary organization.
Al Fawadi’s participation in AAH—a group which since has been formally designated as a “foreign terrorist organization” by the United States Department of State—included travel to Syria in 2013. The purpose of the travel was apparently to engage in combat operations in support of the Syrian regime that, less than a month before Al Fawadi arrived, killed over 1,400 of its own citizens in the Ghouta chemical weapons attack.
“Immigration applicants must disclose their ties to any group engaged in violent activities, and will be prosecuted when they fail to do so,” said United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman.
“Thanks to this prosecution and the diligent work of our law enforcement partners, a dangerous person has been removed from our community and will no longer be able to reside in the United States,” Freedman added.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer, with assistance from the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, as well as the Counter Terrorism Section of the National Security Division of the DOJ and the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section of the Criminal Division of the DOJ.
Defendant: Chasib Hafedh Saadoon Al Fawadi
Criminal Charges: Making false statements in a U.S. immigration application for permanent residence, and making false statements to U.S. Immigration officials during an oral interview for permanent residency
City and State: Syracuse, New York
Exact Date: N/A (sentencing date)
Sentence: 48 months in federal prison
Bail: N/A
Fine: N/A
Current Status: Serving 48 months in federal prison
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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