However, “the government could choose to file criminal charges against the defunct Ashland group in the future.” From The Oregonian, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
A federal judge in Eugene on Thursday dismissed criminal charges against a defunct Islamic organization in Ashland, a ruling that preserves the government’s ability to bring criminal charges against the charity in the future if they decide to.
Al Haramain Islamic Foundation Inc. in Ashland was indicted in February on two tax charges for its role in allegedly laundering $150,000 in donations five years ago to help foreign Islamic fighters. The charity has been designated a terrorist organization by Treasury officials who say the group has links to al-Qaida.
Federal prosecutors sought to drop the case against Al Haramain last month, saying it would be a waste to continue because it is a functionless shell. However, the two men who ran the group are considered international fugitives who are wanted by federal authorities.
Pete Seda, an Ashland tree trimmer also known as Perouz Sedaghaty, established the Oregon charity in 1997 with support from a Saudi operation with a similar name. The charity operated a prayer house and distributed Islamic literature to prisoners.
The indictment accusing the foundation charged Seda and a Saudi named Soliman Al-Buthe with tax crimes relating to the $150,000 in donations. The indictment said foreign donations deposited with the charity in Ashland were sent overseas by Seda and Al-Buthe to support Islamic fighters in Chechnya. The indictment said Al Haramain reported on its 2000 tax return that the money was used to buy a mosque building in Missouri.