Imagine it were 1943 and the parents of two young men who went to Germany to join the Nazis lied to the FBI about it. Would those parents get off with probation and a token fine?
“Parents who lied to the FBI about their sons joining ISIS get probation and $5,000 fine after pleading guilty to making false statement about international terrorism,” Associated Press, October 11, 2017 (thanks to Robert):
FBI officials say a Texas couple lied to authorities about their sons’ involvement with the Islamic State group.
Mohommad Hasnain Ali, 57, and Sumaiya Ali, 49, pleaded guilty in federal court in June to making a false statement about international terrorism, The Dallas Morning News reported .
The couple reached an agreement with prosecutors for probation and a $5,000 fine each.
The agreement will be reviewed by a judge Thursday during a sentencing hearing.
‘The defendant has cooperated with the government and agreed to provide testimony, should it become necessary to do so in the future,’ said Catherine McDonald, an attorney for Mohommad Ali, in court documents.
Federal court records allege their sons, 27-year-old Arman Ali and 26 year-old Omar Ali of Plano, moved to Egypt and then traveled to Syria to fight alongside the Islamic State group.
Court records show that Mohommad Ali told investigators his sons were not affiliated with any terrorist group in 2015.
‘He advised that his sons were peaceful, liked to study, and never indicated they would be affiliated with any terrorist group,’ court documents said.
But email records show the couple was aware of their sons’ activities.
In one online exchange sent by Arman to his father in 2015, he explains: ‘Things are heating up here, and I can’t guarantee me or Omar will be there in 2 months… I’ve been to the hospital every day with brothers from my group.’
‘Close friends have died, too many injured…Me and Omar are perfectly fine right now, but soon we may not be,’ Arman adds….