Yet another jihad charity. "Texas couple accused of funneling money to Iran," by Nigel Duara for the Associated Press, December 17 (thanks to Block Ness):
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A Texas couple and the head of an Oregon charity secretly sent millions of dollars to an Iranian bank and to a contact in Iran for nine years, violating the U.S. embargo on the Middle East country, according to a federal indictment.The indictment describes an alleged scheme in which the Texas couple got tax exemptions for their donations to the Portland-based Child Foundation charity. The head of the charity, Mehrdad Yasrebi, allegedly funneled money that was meant for food and other assistance to his cousin and to a bank controlled by the Iranian government.
Working through Iranian corporations and banks in Switzerland and Dubai, the Texas couple and Yasrebi's cousin masked their transfers by using food shipments and other commodities to cover financial donations intended for a sister charity in Iran run by the cousin, federal prosecutors say.
"These defendants are charged with going to extraordinary lengths to conceal the transfer of large sums of money in violation of the Iranian embargo," Dwight Holton, the U.S. Attorney for Oregon, said in a statement Thursday.
A 26-page indictment alleges the Texas couple, Najmeh Vahid and Dr. Hossein Lahiji, conspired to defraud the government and laundered money by purporting to transfer charitable donations to Iran while actually keeping control of the money.
Also named in the indictment as a defendant is Ahmad Iranshahi, cousin of Yasrebi and the head of the sister charity started in Iran by the two men and other family members in 1999.
Yasrebi was identified as a coconspirator in the indictment but was not charged.
Federal officials allege that since Child Foundation's creation in 1999, it has "funneled the overwhelming majority of its revenue" to the sister charity in Iran, Refah Kudak....
The U.S. has had a trade embargo against Iran since 1995, the same year the Child Foundation achieved charitable nonprofit status.
Purely a coincidence, I'm sure!
Islamic charity=branch of the Bank of Jihad. If even a fraction of the money given to such "charities" really goes to truly helping people I'd be astounded to the point of considering converting. But then again, a jihadist's view of
helping people is usually at odds with what we think so in their minds such charities are doing good when we know better.
Busted! She's from Iran. Just graduated from law school, too! Too bad, so sad. Do not pass go!
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:VAEJKbao5FEJ:www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/S-A-produces-motivated-lawyers-compassionate-791102.php+Najmeh+Vahid&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
"Also named in the indictment as a defendant is Ahmad Iranshahi, cousin of Yasrebi and the head of the sister charity started in Iran by the two men and other family members in 1999."
This guy is a government official in charge of auditing Iran's oil industry.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lahiji-Hossein/135066193208603?sk=checkin#!/profile.php?id=525259319
another involved in the charity
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=626174252
Dr. Hossein LaHiji MD
Urologist - McAllen, TX
http://www.ucomparehealthcare.com/drs/hossein_lahiji/
It's rather strange that the husband is a doctor who lives in McAllen, TX and his wife Najmeh Vahid is an attorney who looks much younger and lives in San Antonio, TX. They are 5 1/2 - 6 hours apart.
http://geology.com/cities-map/texas.shtml
Just a little parochial do-gooder thing? Here's why paying attention to something on the local level is so important.
Think about this, when your looking for media coverage on this case:
When the Russian intellilgence operation was recemtly exposed, the country acted as though, "We knew it all the time."
But, a folksy little, culturally chic, "care to the oppressed" fraud occurs, there's no outrage.
Now, think further, multiply this so many times around the country and what have you paid for?
RPG's, C4, Semtex, flight school tuitions, maybe?
Any connections to CAIR???