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Al-Arian plea deal made public

Judge James S. Moody, Jr., accepted the terms of the plea agreement Monday. Sentencing has been scheduled for Monday, May 1.

By TIMES STAFF WRITER
Published April 17, 2006

Documents unsealed in U.S. District Court Monday shed more light on the details of Sami Al-Arian's secret plea deal, which came to light Friday.

The former University of South Florida professor pleaded guilty to Count Four of the original indictment against him, which charged that he conspired to "make or receive contributions of funds, goods or services to or for the benefit of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad." The federal government designated that group a terrorist organization in 1995.

As part of the agreement, Al-Arian admitted to "filing for immigration benefits for individuals associated with PIJ, hiding the identities of individuals associated with the PIJ, and providing assistance for an individual associated with the PIJ in a United States Court proceeding."

These charges relate to Al-Arian's brother-in-law, Mazen Al-Najjar, who was arrested in 1997 and spent 3 1/2 years in a Bradenton detention facility on "secret evidence." He was arrested again in November 2001, and deported on a visa violation.

The signed plea deal doesn't specify a sentence, though Al-Arian could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years probation.

A lawyer close to the negotiations said Friday that Al-Arian will likely receive close to time served, since he has been in custody since his arrest in 2003, and will be deported.

Under the agreement, prosecutors also will dismiss the remaining eight of nine charges on which a jury deadlocked. Al-Arian, was acquitted in December of eight other charges.

U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr., accepted the terms of the plea agreement Monday. Moody scheduled the sentencing hearing for May 1.

[Last modified April 17, 2006, 17:03:24]