Pro-Kashmir lobbyist sentenced to 2 years in jail for fraud
Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai had pleaded guilty to taking money from the ISI to lobby for Kashmir.
WASHINGTON:
A federal court in Alexandria has sentenced pro-Kashmir lobbyist Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai to two years in jail and three years of supervised release.
In December 2011, Dr Fai had pleaded guilty to two charges, said the Department of Justice. The first charge was “to falsify, conceal and cover up material facts he had a duty to disclose in matters within the jurisdiction of executive branch agencies of the US government.” The second charge was “to defraud the Treasury Department by impeding the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the collection of revenue. “
Arrested in July 2011, Dr Fai, director of the Kashmiri American Council, had been accused of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. He has been accused of, and later pleaded guilty to, taking money from the Inter-Services Intelligence to run his US-based NGO. In December 2011, Dr Fai had admitted that from 1990 to 2011, he had received money from Pakistani officials including the ISI and the Government of Pakistan through the Kashmiri American Council.
A Department of Justice press release at the time had stated that Dr Fai could face a maximum sentence of five years on the conspiracy count, and three years for tax violation. Dr Fai had also agreed to forfeit his interest in $142,851.32 seized by the government in July 2011.
A federal court in Alexandria has sentenced pro-Kashmir lobbyist Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai to two years in jail and three years of supervised release.
In December 2011, Dr Fai had pleaded guilty to two charges, said the Department of Justice. The first charge was “to falsify, conceal and cover up material facts he had a duty to disclose in matters within the jurisdiction of executive branch agencies of the US government.” The second charge was “to defraud the Treasury Department by impeding the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the collection of revenue. “
Arrested in July 2011, Dr Fai, director of the Kashmiri American Council, had been accused of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. He has been accused of, and later pleaded guilty to, taking money from the Inter-Services Intelligence to run his US-based NGO. In December 2011, Dr Fai had admitted that from 1990 to 2011, he had received money from Pakistani officials including the ISI and the Government of Pakistan through the Kashmiri American Council.
A Department of Justice press release at the time had stated that Dr Fai could face a maximum sentence of five years on the conspiracy count, and three years for tax violation. Dr Fai had also agreed to forfeit his interest in $142,851.32 seized by the government in July 2011.