Islamic Charity Chief Denied Bail as Flight Risk
A federal judge refused to grant bail Tuesday to an Islamic charity director charged with lying about ties to Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Ian H. Levin said Enaam Arnaout has family in Saudi Arabia, numerous contacts and the motive and means to flee America.
Arnaout, 34, head of the Benevolence International Foundation, was returned to the government’s Metropolitan Correctional Center where he has been held since his April 30 arrest.
His attorney, Joseph Duffy, said an appeal was likely.
Benevolence is one of two Chicago-area Islamic charities whose assets were frozen Dec. 14 in the terrorism investigation.
Arnaout and officials of the foundation are accused of lying when they said in a sworn statement filed in a civil lawsuit that they did not provide support to “people or organizations known to engage in violence, terrorist activities or military operations of any nature.”
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