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Suspect pleads not guilty in fundraising scheme
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FBI agents Wednesday arrested Akram Musa Abdallah of Mesa based on an indictment that charges him with making false statements related to his involvement in raising funds for the Holy Land Foundation for Relief & Development.
FBI arrests Mesa man in alleged plan with Hamas
Abdallah, 54, also known as Abu Saiaf, a naturalized U.S. citizen, pleaded not guilty Thursday at his initial appearance in federal court in downtown Phoenix.
The indictment claims that Abdallah knowingly and willfully made a false material statement when he told FBI agents that he was not involved in fundraising for the Holy Land Foundation. It further alleges that he was involved in fundraising on its behalf from 1994 to 1997 in the Valley. The Holy Land Foundation is suspected of providing financial support for Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization.
A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned the indictment against Abdallah on Tuesday. A conviction for false statements carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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