These Muslims are doing more than money-laundering for drug dealers.
-Bruce Four Chicago Auto Dealers Arrested Wednesday March 23, 2005 4:31 AM By MAURA KELLY LANNAN Associated Press Writer CHICAGO (AP) - A prosecutor announced federal racketeering conspiracy charges Tuesday against four auto dealers accused of selling luxury cars to criminals and laundering millions of dollars of illegal drug proceeds in phony sales and bank transactions. The two owners and two managers of the three dealerships allegedly laundered more than $9 million since 2001. ``We're not talking about car dealers who sold cars to people who happened to be drug dealers or sold cars to people despite the fact that they were drug dealers. We're talking about a car dealership that was in the business to cater to people who were drug dealers and gang bangers,'' U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said. The defendants were identified as Amir Hosseini, 48; Ruhollah Bambouyani, 54; and Ramona Rodriguez, 38; and Hossein Obaei, 52. All four, who were arrested Monday night and Tuesday morning, are charged with racketeering conspiracy. Federal agents and Chicago police seized more than 100 cars from the dealerships and searched the defendants' offices and homes. Obaei also was charged with aiding and abetting a cocaine- and heroin-trafficking ring allegedly operated by some of his customers. The drug dealers used cash to buy more than 800 luxury cars, including Mercedes Benz, Jaguar and BMW models, according to prosecutors. Fitzgerald said fake transactions were created on paper to make it look as if the cars were bought for less than $10,000 so that required paperwork did not have to be completed. Attorneys for the defendants did not comment as they left the hearing. If convicted of racketeering conspiracy, each defendant faces a maximum 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Obaei, if convicted of aiding and abetting a drug distribution conspiracy, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life and a $4 million fine. Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4885768,00.html [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. A simple way to provide underprivileged children resources often lacking in public schools. Fund a student project in NYC/NC today! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EHLuJD/.WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
