Breaking News: Jury finds Jaber wasn’t a terrorist, convicts on lesser charges
Fayetteville man faces deportation for obtaining citizenship unlawfully
Last updated Monday, June 19, 2006 8:01 PM CDT in Front
FAYETTEVILLE -- A federal court jury Monday found a Fayetteville man not guilty of attempting to provide material support to a recognized terrorist organization.
But, Arwah Jaber was convicted of five lesser charges and will likely have his citizenship revoked.
Jaber was found guilty of obtaining his naturalization unlawfully; making false statements on a passport application and an immigration application and two counts of making false statements on credit card applications.
Jaber still faces possible jail time and fines but nothing of the magnitude he faced from the terrorism charge. If he’d been convicted of the material support charge, Jaber would have faced up to 15 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
The government immediately filed a motions to revoke Jaber’s naturalization and to have him jailed while awaiting sentencing. A hearing is set on those motions today at 9 a.m. He currently remains free on an existing bond.
Sentencing will come within the next 90 days, sometime after a pre-sentencing investigation is complete.
The defense team is still considering whether they have grounds for an appeal.
Both sides saw the jury verdicts as a victory.
Jaber said the verdict is vindication that he is not a terrorist. U.S. Attorney Bob Balfe said the case showed how aggressive and effective law enforcement is being. Balfe said Jaber’s arrest may well have headed off a terrorist incident had Jaber been able to fly out of the country.
Jaber, a University of Arkansas graduate student, was arrested June 14, 2005, at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. The government contends he was flying out to join the jihad. Jaber maintains he was going to visit relatives.
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