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The head of a mosque in Lexington, Kentucky, and two other men are accused of looking for a hitman to kill two people who they believe owe them money.
Mahmoud Shaker Shalash, the Imam of the 70-year-old Lexington Islamic Center, is charged with using state-to-state infrastructure in murder commission for complicity and murder, alongside John Sadiqullah, 31. years old, and Abdul, 34 years old. Hadi. Shalash and Saduqullah appeared in federal court in Lexington on Thursday and were arrested while waiting for a hearing on May 14 on remand, the Lexington Herald-Leader announced.
Hadi appeared in court on Friday and was also detained until a new hearing.
According to police sworn statements filed last week, an informant posing as a hitman met Shalash at a Lexington motel on March 12. his money back.
From left to right, Mahmoud Shaker Shalash, John Sadiqullah and Abdul Hadi.
(Woodford County Jail)
When the informant asked if Shalash wanted the legs of victim # 1 to be broken, Shalash first said "no". However, the informant insisted on the problem, saying that if he needed to break his legs to get money, "then, well, I'm serious." According to the affidavit, Shalash first replied: "Agree", then told the informant: "Do everything you need to do to get my money back" at 39, a subsequent meeting.
Shalash also introduced the informant to Sadiqullah, who thought that a second person – the "No. 2 victim" in the affidavit – had cheated on him in a commercial deal involving a drug company. taxi, said investigators. Sadiqullah claimed that "victim # 2" had sold her, as well as some partners, the taxi company, but had retained the company's customer list and some contracts.
"I want her dead," Sadiqullah reportedly told the informant, who would have suggested at one point to Shalash to provide a fatwa, or legal Islamic statement, authorizing the murder. Shalash and Sadiqullah were in agreement with this idea, according to the affidavits.
"It's not a question of money, it took me more than money," said Sadiqullah to the informant about victim # 2. He took my livelihood. He really destroyed us. If anyone could kill him (victim # 2) for $ 10,000, we would pay all four to $ 10,000. "
Investigators said Hadi had a separate company taking care of victim # 2. Hadi gave the man $ 20,000 for a partnership in a trucking company. The adventure failed and Hadi apparently believed that victim # 2 owed him the money.
At one point, Hadi, Sadiqullah and another man found the No. 2 victim in his company in Lexington, and Sadiqullah called the informant to ask him to come in force for the victim # 2 to give them money.
The Lexington Islamic Center posted on its website a statement saying: "The Lexington Muslims are shocked to hear the announcement of the arrest of Imam Mahmoud Shalash. unfolding and we do not have enough details at the moment.We believe that every American citizen is innocent until his guilt is established by a court. "
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"We would like to emphasize that Islam is a religion based on peace and tolerance.Killing or hiring for murder is considered in the Qur'an as a serious sin."
The Herald-Leader said Mr. Shalash pleaded guilty in 2012 to making over $ 238,000 in illegal foreign exchange transactions at various banks in Lexington. He was sentenced to two years of probation and confiscated from the federal government.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
Click for more information on the Lexington Herald-Leader.
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