Sentencing in Care International Case?

There was a hearing this morning at the Moakley Federal Court House on the Care International trial.  Four Massachusetts men whose organization, Care International, raised $1.7 million to fund violent jihad were found guilty of tax-related crimes.  Both the defendants and the government have submitted memorandum to the court on sentencing considerations and recommendations. 

Lee Hammel of the Worcester Telegram has been on the case, of course, and wrote this article before today's sentencing hearing:

"The U.S. Attorney’s office predicted that the eyes of the world will be upon the courtroom of U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV and urged him not to go below the sentencing guidelines in the case of three convicted officers of a defunct Muslim charity."

“ 'The impact of a sentence here will likely be interpreted across the world as some barometer of the United States’ attitude toward the abuse of its civil infrastructure to support fighting and armed conflict,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Aloke Chakravarty wrote. 'Especially when the problem of ostensible charitable organizations diverting money to noncharitable activities is a contemporary concern of international significance, the deterrent impact is magnified.' ”

"He was referring to the sentencing of a Shrewsbury man and two former Worcester men who were convicted of conspiracy to defraud the government, scheming to conceal material facts and other charges. The scheme in which Muhamed Mubayyid, 42, of Shrewsbury; and Emadeddin Z. Muntasser, 43, of Braintree, and Samir Al-Monla, 50, of Brookline were convicted was for obtaining and keeping tax-exempt status for Care International, a Muslim charity in Boston."

"....There is a dispute between the government, the probation department and the defendants over what the guidelines should be. In the case of Mr. Muntasser, for example, the government believes the sentence guideline should be 97 to 121 months in prison; Probation calculated 63 to 78 months; and the defense wants no more than 6 months."

"But Judge Saylor is expected to announce in federal court in Boston today whether there will even be a sentence. He previously conducted two days of hearings on motions on whether he should acquit the defendants despite the jury verdict or order a new trial."

Stay tuned!