2003-06-17 -- Azhar, Syed et al. -- Criminal Complaint -- News Release

Six Men Arrested, Charged With Illegally Transmitting $70 Million to Pakistan

NEWARK - Six Pakistani men were arrested today for illegally sending tens of millions of dollars to Pakistan through unlicensed money transmitting businesses, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

According to the Criminal Complaint filed under seal in U.S. District Court on Friday, June 13, the men operated and aided and abetted the operation of unlicensed money transmitting businesses in New Jersey and New York. Under state laws in New Jersey and New York, money transmitting businesses must be licensed, and it is a federal crime to operate a money transmitting business without the required state license, Assistant U.S. Attorney Marion Percell explained.

Evidence has not shown any connection between the illegal money transmitting businesses and terrorism. The investigation is continuing.

According to the Complaint, New Jersey resident Syed Azhar used a licensed money transmitting business in Iselin, N.J. to assist the operation of three unlicensed money transmitting businesses in New York.

The Complaint also alleges that defendants Farooq Malik, Umer Darr, Umar Mushtaq, and Khurram Farid frequently - at least once a week - brought currency in amounts in excess of $10,000 to Azhar in Iselin. During the almost 18-month period from Jan. 1, 2002, until June 13, 2003, the total amount of that currency was more than $70 million, according to the Complaint. Azhar allegedly deposited that currency in a bank account in the name of Access Inc. of USA, and subsequently asked the bank to wire transfer it to various recipients in Pakistan.

Each of the defendants is scheduled to make an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark at 2:30 p.m. Charged in the complaint are:

Syed Azhar, 44, of Morganville, N.J., an officer of Access Inc. of USA, a licensed money transmitting business located at 1100 Green Street, Iselin. Azhar was charged with aiding and abetting the illegal money transmitting businesses conducted by his codefendants, and also with failing to file required currency transaction reports concerning cash transactions in excess of $10,000. Azhar is citizen of Pakistan and a legal permanent resident of the U.S.

Farooq Malik, 39, of Astoria, N.Y., who is associated with a money transfer business known as Link to Link, 27-11 21st Street, Long Island City, NY, which is alleged to be an illegal, unlicensed business. Malik is a citizen of Pakistan and a landed immigrant in Canada, and he is believed to be in the U.S. illegally.

Umer Darr, 26, of Bayonne, N.J., who is associated with a money transfer business known as Kashmir Money, Inc., 484 Ninth Ave., New York, which is alleged to be an illegal, unlicensed business. Born in Pakistan, he is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Umar Mushtaq, 29, and Khurram Farid, 30, both of Brooklyn, who are associated with a money transfer business known as Fast Global Services, 862 Coney Island Blvd., Brooklyn, which is alleged to be an illegal, unlicensed business. Mushtaq is a citizen of Pakistan and is believed to be in the U.S. illegally. Farid is a citizen of Pakistan and is in the U.S. on a visa that permits him to work for a company in Reston, Va.

Ali Cheema, 22, of Iselin, who is alleged to have assisted in preparing phony receipts, is a citizen of Pakistan and a legal permanent resident of the U.S.

The Complaint alleges that on Nov. 14, 2002, inside the Access Inc. of USA, office at 1100 Green St., Iselin, defendant Cheema was videotaped preparing phony receipts indicating that Access Inc. received currency in small amounts from many different individual customers, although in fact Access Inc. and defendant Azhar had received the currency in large amounts from defendants Malik, Darr, Mushtaq, Farid and others.

If Azhar is convicted on all charges, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and fines of $500,000. The other five defendants face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, the U.S. District Judge to whom a case is assigned would, upon conviction, determine the actual sentence each federal defendant receives based upon a formula that takes into account the severity and characteristics of the offense and the defendant's criminal history, if any.

Parole, however, has been abolished in the federal system. Under the Sentencing Guidelines, defendants who are given federal custodial terms must serve nearly all that time.

The six defendants, who were arrested this morning, are scheduled to make an initial appearance at 2:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk.

Christie credited agents of the Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Anne D. Fahy, and agents of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the direction of John Torres, the Special Agent in Charge in Newark, with developing this case.

The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Percell, of the U.S. Attorney's Criminal Division, in Newark.

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