“Hundreds of credit cards, 11 Illinois identification cards with Sodagar’s photos””but bearing other names””on them, at least 36 Social Security cards, gold coins and bars and more than $60,000 in cash.” How helpful would fake ID documents be to a jihad terrorist? Of course, this guy may just be involved in petty identity theft and forgery, but the FBI and Homeland Security were called in.
“Son’s call to police leads to dad’s arrest on felony ID theft charges,” by Liam Ford and Carolyn Rusin for the Chicago Tribune (thanks to Martin):
The investigation of a Morton Grove man charged with 22 counts of felony identity theft started when his son reported that his father had threatened to shoot him, authorities said Tuesday.
Officers were looking for weapons last week when they searched the home of Mohammad Afzal Sodagar in the 8600 block of Frontage Drive.
What they found instead were hundreds of credit cards, 11 Illinois identification cards with Sodagar’s photos””but bearing other names””on them, at least 36 Social Security cards, gold coins and bars and more than $60,000 in cash, said a spokesman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
Bail for Sodagar, 51, was set at $3 million during a hearing Monday in the Skokie branch of Circuit Court. He was charged Saturday.
In his dealings with Chicago’s Muslim community, Sodagar, whom family members say uses his middle name, has portrayed himself as the chief executive of a television production company. But in arguing for the high bail, prosecutors said he apparently has no job.
“This man has been operating his own criminal enterprise for probably 30 years,” said Morton Grove Police Cmdr. Brian Bolger.
“We have located 22 victims,” Bolger said, including three from Michigan, Nevada and Indiana. But he said police believe there may be more victims.
The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Internal Revenue Service have been notified of Sodagar’s arrest, Bolger said….
In press releases and news reports over the last two years, he has portrayed himself as CEO of a company called Eye-TV and as a contact for at least two prominent Chicago Muslim groups.
Officials with the Muslim Community Center, which runs a Chicago mosque as well as a school and mosque in Morton Grove, said Sodagar has volunteered with the group, but they said he has held no elected positions with the organization and has had no corporate responsibilities.
“He’s been involved in a volunteer capacity for about the past year and a half,” said Yasir Aleemuddin, a director of the Muslim Community Center.
Sodagar has been relieved of his volunteer duties since his arrest, according to the group.
Passports, too:
“Fake Passports Seized from Morton Grove Man with Muslim Ties,” from MyFox Chicago (thanks again to Martin):
Chicago — Police say they found phony passports and credit cards in the north suburban home of a man with ties to several Muslim community centers. There were so many bogus documents that Homeland Security and the FBI have been brought into the case. Investigative reporter Larry Yellen has an exclusive look at what was seized, and who called police.