Manchester Man Guilty of Lying to Federal Law Enforcement During Interview

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a jury in New Haven has found FAREED AHMED KHAN, 61, of Manchester, guilty of making a false statement during an interview with federal law enforcement.  A trial before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer began on September 16 and the jury returned its verdict this morning.

According to the evidence presented during the trial, Khan was born in Pakistan and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in February 2003.  Khan was a member of the Islamic Circle of North America (“ICNA”) and was responsible for collecting cash and check donations to ICNA for its various charitable events.  In 2014, the Federal Bureau of Investigation learned that, over the course of approximately eight years, Khan received more than $200,000 in cash deposits into his bank account.  Investigators also learned that Khan was transacting with an individual in Pakistan who was arranging for third parties to deposit cash into Khan’s account to fund medical equipment purchases for the individual in Pakistan.  Khan then collected the purchased medical equipment, repackaged the items, and shipped them to Pakistan.

On June 26, 2015, the FBI interviewed Khan.  During the interview, Khan made multiple false statements, including that he was not affiliated with ICNA, did not know anyone from ICNA, had never collected charitable donations for ICNA, and that the only packages he had ever sent to Pakistan were to his sister and brother and contained clothing.

On October 13, 2015, investigators conducted court-authorized search of Khan’s residence and seized numerous items related to Khan’s role in ICNA.  In addition, a search of Khan’s cellular phone revealed WhatsApp messages between Khan and his associate in Pakistan detailing Khan’s involvement in multiple shipments of medical equipment to Pakistan.

At sentencing, Khan faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.  A sentencing date is not scheduled.

Khan is released on a $50,000 bond.

This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Air Marshal Service, and Manchester Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vanessa Richards and Rahul Kale, with the assistance of Trial Attorneys Troy Edwards and David Cora of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.