NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
John L. Brownlee United States Attorney Heidi Coy Public Affairs Specialist |
BB&T Building 310 1st Street, S.W., Room 906 Roanoke, Virginia 24011 (540) 857-2250 FAX (540) 857-2180 |
January 30, 2006
HARRISONBURG RESIDENT RASHEED QADIR QAMBARI CONVICTED
OF TRANSMITTING MONEY OVERSEAS ILLEGALLY
United States Attorney John L. Brownlee announced today that Rasheed Qadir Qambari, age 37, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, was convicted of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business after a one day jury trial.
Qambari was tried in United States District Court in Harrisonburg, Virginia in front of Judge Glen E. Conrad.
According to evidence presented by the United States, beginning in 1998, Qambari and three other men began operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Qambari and the others would receive checks from people who wanted to transfer money outside the United States to various Middle Eastern and European nations. The money was deposited in various bank accounts controlled by the defendants and then transferred to accounts in other countries. None of the defendants had a license from the Virginia State Corporation Commission or the United States Department of the Treasury, as required by law. Over a six year period, Qambari and his three co-defendants transferred nearly $3,000,000 overseas.
Qambari’s three co-defendants are awaiting trial.
The investigation was conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Inspector General for the Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Harrisonburg Police Department, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, Albemarle County Police Department, University of Virginia Police Department, Charlottesville Police Department, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Gould prosecuted the case.