A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment against Rasmieh Yousef Odeh, 69, of Chicago, charging her with procuring her U.S. naturalization unlawfully by concealing her role in a terrorist bombing. The Justice Department alleges Odeh lied about her criminal past and ties to a designated terrorist group when she applied for citizenship in 2004.
United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced the indictment, joined by Steve Francis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. The charges stem from Odeh’s 1969 arrest, conviction, and imprisonment in Israel for involvement in bombings of a supermarket and the British Consulate—details she failed to disclose on her naturalization application.
The superseding indictment does not add new charges but includes additional allegations: Odeh falsely answered questions about her affiliation with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Prosecutors say these omissions were intentional and material to her eligibility for citizenship.
Odeh was previously convicted on the same charge in 2014, but following an appeal, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a retrial. Last week, the U.S. District Court in Detroit granted her a new trial, paving the way for prosecution under the updated indictment.
The government also alleges Odeh was inadmissible upon her arrival in the United States in 1995 because she had engaged in terrorist activity as defined by federal law. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
A trial is scheduled for January 10, 2017, in Detroit. The indictment is a formal charge and not evidence of guilt. Under U.S. law, the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Related Federal Cases
- Rasmieh Odeh Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Citizenship · Michigan
- AGs Unite Against Birthright Citizenship Attack · Washington
- NY AG Blocks Trump Birthright Citizenship Order · Connecticut
- NY AG James Takes on Unconstitutional Birthright Citizenship Order · District of Columbia
- Alexander KneGINICH Arrested for Faking U.S. Citizenship · Michigan
Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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