Raouf Hannachi

Raouf Hannachi is a former Canadian citizen whose current whereabouts are unknown. Raouf Hannachi came to the attention of Canadian authorities as a potential terrorist who was monitored prior to the events of September 11, 2001 as an apparent recruiter for jihadist activities.

Raouf Hannachi was born in Tunisia who moved to Montreal. In 1986, he was made a citizen of Canada and became an active part of the jihadist Islamic community there. Raouf Hannachi commonly recruited young men for the jihadist cause by telling them about how he had trained in a camp run by terrorist Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan at an unspecified date. Raouf Hannachi described training that included instruction in the use of AK-47 firearms, as well as instruction in urban warfare and proper use of explosives. Raouf Hannachi would urge these young men to join the jihadist cause.

One of the young men whom Raouf Hannachi spoke with and influenced was Ahmed Ressam, who later attempted to detonate an explosive in the Los Angeles International Airport. Raouf Hannachi was named as a terrorist recruiter by jihadist Abu Zubaydah after he was captured and interrogated by American Authorities.

Following the events of September 11, 2001, Raouf Hannachi returned to Tunisia in October. Allegedly, he left Canada because he felt harassed by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Upon his arrival, he entered the custody of Tunisian authorities, who questioned him about his role in jihadist activities. Afterwards, he was released from their custody. The current whereabouts of Raouf Hannachi are unknown. Canadian investigations of his activities concluded that he was probably responsible for the recruitment of some of the dozen or so Canadian citizens who trained in Afghanistan terrorist camps.

NEW YORK, NY—A commitment to civil rights for all people started early for Robert J. Feldman, an attorney who has been representing criminal defendants for over 30 years.  According to Feldman, his “wild adolescence during the 1960s caused me to always be suspicious of government and to cherish freedom and civil rights.”

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A member of the Brooklyn Law School class of 1980, Feldman says that while he was earning his J.D., “it became crystal clear that the only areas of law that inspired me were criminal and constitutional law.  Protecting the rights of the accused—and especially trying their cases—is the greatest gig imaginable.”

While defending cases for clients accused of everything from violations to felonies, Feldman says that he has become skeptical about the need to incarcerate many of the people who have been accused of crimes in the United States.  “So many individuals are either unjustly accused or are unfairly prosecuted for minor transgressions that certainly do not merit criminal conviction or incarceration,” he says.  “In my view, humans should not be caged unless they are a danger to others.”

In addition to victimless crimes like drug possession, Feldman also says incarceration should be reconsidered in public lewdness cases.  “Public lewdness nowadays is code for two adults privately (or with like-minded people watching) having some fun in the sand dunes or in a remote park or lover's lane setting.”  This kind of consensual sexual activity, he says, doesn't need to be punished with jail time by the courts or focused on by law enforcement for undercover sting operations.

Recently, Feldman defended one of these lewdness cases in federal court.  His client, a retired police detective with the NYPD, was propositioned for sex in an isolated beach area by an undercover officer.  A judge ruled that the detective was not guilty of lewdness because there was no way for other people to see his lower body or genitals.  Feldman also claimed during the case that the undercover police officer had lied about the actions that took place between himself and the retired detective.

In addition to defending clients accused of criminal acts, Feldman also recently gained national attention for representing Lt. Dan Choi, a gay Army lieutenant who was discharged from military service because of his sexual orientation while the controversial “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy was active.  Choi's protests of the DADT policy led to selective prosecution during protest actions.

Choi's case eventually led to federal judge Virginia Phillips ordering the end of the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy, which led in turn to its legislative repeal by Congress and President Barack Obama.  “At the end of the day,” Feldman says of Choi, “he complimented us on our superb representation.”

That representation leads more clients to come to Feldman's door than he can help.  “Hundreds of people contact me every year because they want me to represent them,” he says.  “I only take clients who I believe I can help.  If I can't envision success, I will not represent them.  I agree to represent about 50 to 60 percent of the people who contact me.”
To learn more about Robert J. Feldman please visit his official website www.newyork-criminal-defense.com

On November 27, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced that Jeremy K Russell, the former fire chief of Mint Hill Volunteer Fire Department, agreed to plead guilty for embezzling over $225,000 from the Town of Mint Hill and the Fire Department.  

According to the charge filed in the U.S. District Court in Charlotte, Russell engaged in the embezzlement scheme from May 2010 to April 2012.  During the scheme, Russell set up a sham corporation called “Regional Medic & First Responder Supply Connection” and opened a bank account in Regional Medic’s name that he controlled himself.  He also created a mail drop for Regional Medic so mail wasn’t sent to his address.  

Court documents show that Russell filed fake invoices for services and equipment from Regional Medic that were never provided to the Mint Hill Fire Department.  The invoices were usually under $5,000 and the checks were signed off by members of the town and Fire Department employees.  

When Russell received the checks in the mail drop, he took them to the bank and deposited them in Regional Medic’s name.  By engaging in the scheme, Russell was able to obtain over $225,000 in under two years.  The Mint Hill Volunteer Fire Department is supported by taxpayer money and receives over $10,000 in federal funds as well.  

Russell used the embezzled money for personal expenditures and a gambling habit.  As part of the plea agreement, Russell will plead guilty to the embezzlement charge and pay restitution to victims.  

Embezzlement carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.  The date of Russell’s plea hearing is not yet scheduled.  

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt W. Meyers.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

On November 7, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced that Eric Brown of Richmond was arrested after he was accused of stealing a truck the contained audio equipment for the President of the United States.  He faces 10 years in prison for theft of government property if he is convicted.  

Court documents show that a truck was reported stolen on October 16, 2011 that stored audio equipment the president uses during public appearances.  The truck was located in Henrico Country before it was reported stolen.  The truck was stolen several days before President Obama was supposed to speak at an event in Central Virginia.  

Video surveillance saw a dark SUV enter the parking lot where the truck was located.  The truck was driven off the lot shortly after, and the SUV followed shortly behind.  The stolen equipment included a laptop and other audio and visual equipment.  These items bore the presidential seal.   

After the theft, Brown sold the laptop and kept the audio and visual equipment.  The laptop still contained the presidential seal, and Brown was reported to have bragged about the theft.  During the investigation, authorities were able to obtain cell phone data that proved Brown was at the place where the truck was stolen on the night of the crime.  

The investigation was led by the Secret Service, the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and the Henrico County Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Roderick C. Young is handling the prosecution.  

Brown is still innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.  The FBI has not released any information about his sentencing date, but updates about the case will appear on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

On November 20, 2012, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Newark asked for information from the public for a series of four bank robberies that occurred starting in August 2012.  During all of the robberies, the man approached the teller, gave them a note demanding money, and walked away with an undisclosed amount of cash.  During two of the robberies, he wore a baseball cap containing the letter “R.”  The FBI believes the letter stands for Rutgers.  

The robberies are summarized below:

On August 9, 2012, the man entered the TD Bank on 74 Route 571 in East Windsor, New Jersey around 7:12 p.m.  He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, dark pants, large sunglasses, and a baseball cap.  

On August 23, 2012, the man entered the TD Bank on 1010 Raritan Road in Clark, New Jersey at about 7:50 p.m.  He was wearing a dark baseball cap, a short-sleeved polo shirt, and dark pants.  

On September 8, 2012, the man entered the TD Bank on 3024 Route 516 in Old Bridge, New Jersey at approximately 2:50 p.m.  He was wearing a baseball cap, a blue polo shirt, gray pants, and sunglasses.  

The last robbery occurred on November 16, 2012 at the TD Bank on 70 Middlesex Avenue in Metuchen, New Jersey around 7:15 p.m.  He was wearing a black jacket, gray shirt, blue jeans, white sneakers, large sunglasses, and a baseball cap.  

The man is described as white and about 5’8” tall and 170 pounds.  He had a beard and mustache during all of the robberies.  

If you have any information about the bank robberies, you need to contact the FBI at 973-792-3000.  Do not attempt to apprehend the suspect on your own.  You can also contact 911 if you suspect you’ve spotted the bank robber.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

On November 13, 2012, the Department of Justice announced that Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari was sentenced to life in prison for attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.  The Saudi Arabian national was admitted into the United States in 2008 on a student visa for South Plains College near Lubbock.  

On February 1, 2011, a chemical supplier told the FBI that they received a suspicious request for concentrated phenol by Aldawsari.  Phenol is used to make explosive trinitrophenol (T.N.P.) or picric acid.  The chemicals needed to make T.N.P. or picric acid include sulfuric and nitric acids.  Aldawsari told the company he wanted the chemicals sent to a freight company for “off-campus, personal research.”  He eventually cancelled the order, but he obtained concentrated nitric and sulfuric acid by December 2010.  

A journal found at Aldawsari’s resident showed that he was planning a terrorist attack on the United States for years.  The journal stated that a scholarship greatly helped him come to the United States, and the journal specifically stated, “And now, after mastering the English language, learning how to build explosives, and continuous planning to target the infidel Americans, it is time for jihad.”

The investigation proved that Aldawsari sent emails to himself that contained instructions on how to make powerful explosives, how to turn a cell phone into a detonator, and how to make a bomb out of a vehicle.  He also bought a Hazmat suit, multiple beakers and flasks, a battery tester, a soldering iron kit, and more.  

U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña stated, “This case, in which private citizens paid attention to details and notified authorities of their suspicions, serves as a reminder to all private citizens that we must always be observant and vigilant, as there are some who intend to cause great harm.  Khalid Aldawsari, acting as a lone wolf, may well have gone undetected were it not for the keen observations of private citizens.”

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

On November 8, 2012, the FBI announced that a male adult suspect who robbed an Idaho credit under the day before appears to be the “AK-47 Bandit.”  The suspect has robbed banks in parts of California and Washington, and it appears his crime spree has spread into Idaho.  

The recent robbery occurred at the East Idaho Credit Union in Rexburg on November 7.  The suspect was wearing a mask and yielding an assault rifle as he ordered employees and customers into the bank’s vault.  Nobody was injured during the robbery, but the suspect made off with a large amount of cash.  

The suspect is believed to have robbed banks on February 29, March 12, and July 6, 2012 as well.  The first robbery on February 29 occurred at the California Bank & Trust in Chino, California.  A police officer was shot and seriously injured by the assault rifle during the robbery.  

The second robbery occurred on March 12 at the Bank of the West on the 1000 block of Helen Power Drive in Vacaville, California.  The third robbery occurred at the Chase Bank on Mt. Si Boulevard in North Bend, Washington.  The suspect may have been involved with a robbery at the Tri Counties Bank on the 1700 block of Challenge Way located in Sacramento, California on March 9th as well.

The FBI is offering up to $50,000 for information that leads to the suspect’s arrest, and the East Idaho Credit Union is offering up to $20,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect who robbed the bank on November 7.  You can contact the FBI Salt Lake City Division at (801) 579-1400.  

The suspect is considered armed and extremely dangerous.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

On November 8, 2012, the Department of Justice reported that John Hall—a current inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Seagoville, Texas—pleaded guilty to a hate crime against an inmate he thought was gay.  Hall was in direct violation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.  The crime occurred on December 20, 2011.  

According to court documents, Hall targeted the other inmate because of the inmate’s sexual orientation.  He admitted to kicking and punching the victim while yelling gay slurs, and he also admitted to using a dangerous weapon during the crime.  The victim sustained serious bodily injury, chipped teeth, and numerous lacerations on the face.  The victim survived, but the victim had a long recovery.  

Thomas E. Perez, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, stated: “The Justice Department continues to investigate and prosecute acts of violence targeting individuals because of their sexual orientation; this case is just another example of the department’s commitment to the pursuit of justice on behalf of all people regardless of their sexual preference or orientation.”  

Hall can receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on top of the time he currently serving.  The Justice Department has not released any information about the length of this prior sentence.  

Perez went on to say, “The department will continue to vigorously enforce the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and all the laws under our jurisdiction, to protect the rights of all individuals.”  

The FBI Dallas Division investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Errin Martin and Trial Attorney Adriana Vieco of the Civil Rights Division were in charge of prosecution.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation