Emaan Arnaout
Age: 46
Residence: USA Naturalized Citizen
Nationality: Syrian
Emaan Arnaout is a veteran of Afghanistan-Soviet civil war (1980-1989).
Emaan is an American of Syrian descent, who was charged with financing terrorism through a charity organization called BIF. [see indictment]
He later worked out a plea agreement and pled guilty to using charitable donations to support fighters in Bosnia without apprising the donors of this[1], during his tenure as a director of the charity Benevolence International Foundation.
During a sentencing hearing in August 2003, U. S. District Judge Suzanne Conlon told prosecutors they had “failed to connect the dots” and said there was no evidence that Arnaout “identified with or supported” terrorism. [2]
Arnaout entered into a plea agreement on February 10, 2003, in which he pled guilty to a single count of racketeering.[3] In that agreement, the prosecution acknowledged that neither Arnaout nor BIF had acted contrary to the interests of the United States, or had any ties to Osama bin Laden or Al Qaeda. Arnaout’s statement of guilt acknowledges subverting on the order of $300,000 to $400,000 of charitable funds (out of a total of about $20,000,000) to buy boots, uniforms, tents, and an ambulance for Bosnian fighters, without the knowledge of the charitable donors. Judge Conlon sentenced Arnaout to 136 months in prison.
Both Arnaout and the government appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. On December 2, 2005, the Seventh Circuit reversed the sentence and remanded the case to Judge Conlon for resentencing. In February 2006, Judge Conlon resentenced Arnaout to 120 months (10 years) in prison. [4]
The criminal justice system, although at times flawed, is a truth- seeking process. The truth about Enaam Arnaout and Benevolence International Foundation has finally been revealed. The plea agreement entered into today is an acknowledgment by the government that neither Mr .Arnaout nor BIF ever provided any support to al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, or any other terrorist organization. The agreement further demonstrates that Mr. Arnaout and BIF never supported any activity that was contrary to the interests of the United States.
In entering that plea, Mr. Arnaout made a decision that he believed was in the best interest of his family, the charity, and the American Muslim community.
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^ Benevolence Int’l Chief Pleads Guilty: Arnaout pleads to lesser charges to avoid facing potentially biased jury, About.com, February 11, 2003
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^ Few convictions on terror since 9/11: Most arrested not linked to extremists, Washington Post, June 12, 2005
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^ Statement of Enaam Arnaout: BIF chief pleads guilty to racketeering, releases statement to media and American Muslim community, About.com, February 10, 2003
- ^ New Sentence for Charity Director, New York Times, February 18, 2006
Write to him:
Do not send funds to this address; for more information go to the Inmate Money page. Use this address when sending correspondence and parcels to inmates confined at this facility.
ENAAM M ARNAOUT 14504-424
FCI TERRE HAUTE
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 33
TERRE HAUTE, IN 47808
