Federal judge won’t bail 3 men in Jihad charity case, 1 with Lynn ties

LYNN – A federal judge is standing by his decision to deny bail to three Massachusetts businessmen, including one with Lynn ties, convicted last month of conspiring to defraud the government by running a charity that raised money for Muslim Holy War fighters.U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, presiding at a Jan. 18 bail hearing at the federal courthouse in Worcester, said the men “have not carried their heavy burden of establishing by clear and convincing evidence that they are not likely to flee” before their sentencing date in April.Convicted Jan. 11 following a trial that explored their links to terrorist groups were Emadeddin Muntasser, 43, of Braintree, owner of the Logan Furniture chain, which has a store on the Lynnway; Muhamed Mubay-yid, 42, of Shrewsbury, and Samir Al-Monla, 50, of Brookline. Muntasser and Al-Monla are both former Worcester residents.According to the judge, who issued his ruling on Jan. 25, the defendants could have grounds for appeal since the case is “both complex and relatively unique” and that it has “a significantly greater-than-average chance of resulting in a reversal.”Defense lawyers have requested hearings on motions to acquit the men or set a new trail. In addition to the conspiracy charge and attempting to conceal information from the government, Mubayyid was also found guilty of three counts of making false statements on an income tax return and of obstructing the Internal Revenue Service.The case hinges on a defunct Boston-based charity, Care International, which received tax-exempt status that might not have been allowed if certain information was not withheld from the federal government.The U.S. Attorney’s Office found that Care International was an outgrowth and successor to Al-Kifah Refugee Center, which later was named a specially-designated global terrorist organization. The prosecutors further determined that Care International supported and gathered contributions for the Muslim holy war or Jihad and the mujahideen who fought it.Care International Inc. operated from 1993 to 2003 and collected $1.7 million in donations, prosecutors said.During the trial, an FBI agent testified that in the early to mid-1990s, Care International sent more than $130,000 to Makhtab al Khidamat, an organization considered a precursor to Al Qaeda that funneled money to mujahideen fighters in Bosnia.In evaluating the bail arguments, Judge Saylor noted that all three men have substantial ties to their respective communities and that Muntasser offered to post $1.9 million in addition to the $422,000 previously put up for security, both amounts in real estate. Mubayyid offered to secure bail with a home in which he has more than $100,000 equity.Nonetheless, the judge remained convinced by prosecutors that the defendants represent a flight risk because they are citizens of other countries with family, financial and other substantial supports outside the U.S.