Arizona man to be sentenced Thursday in Phoenix for lying to FBI in terror-funding probe

Arizona man to be sentenced in terror-funding case

PHOENIX — An Arizona man who admitted lying to the FBI as they investigated a Muslim charity group that raised funds to aid the terrorist group Hamas is set to be sentenced in Phoenix on Thursday.

Akram Musa Abdallah’s plea deal to the charge of making false statements to the government calls for a sentence of 18 months to two years, although he could get up to eight years if the judge deems that a terrorism sentencing enhancement should be applied.

Defense attorneys say the enhancement should not be applied. Government lawyers argue that Abdallah and his lawyers had access to all the evidence when they agreed to the plea deal.

Sentences in similar cases not involving terrorism typically are six months or less.