Of the billions of tax {dollars} spent by the U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement Workplace (USAID) which can be being questioned by the Trump administration, hundreds of thousands went to fund terrorism.
A multi-year investigation introduced by the Justice Division and U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the District of Columbia reveals the scope of how funds have been utilized in one latest terrorism-related case.
“The case represents probably the most important diversions of USAID-funded humanitarian help that USAID-OIG has investigated,” USAID’s Workplace of Inspector Normal mentioned.
It concerned a Syrian nationwide, Mahmoud Al Hafyan, who was charged with illegally diverting greater than $9 million of taxpayer cash via USAID to armed combatant teams, together with the Al-Nusrah Entrance (ANF), a delegated overseas terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaida in Iraq.
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In line with the indictment, Al Hafyan led a non-governmental group (NGO) in Syria, managing 160 workers.
Since Syria’s civil struggle started in 2011, and thru 2020, U.S. taxpayers funded greater than $12 billion of USAID cash to Syria supposed for meals and medical provides that was alleged to be administered by United Nations businesses and NGOs.
The NGO that Al Hafyan led obtained $122 million over a three-year interval, diverting meals kits meant for refugees to ANF commanders, in accordance with the grievance. ANF, combating to overthrow the Syrian authorities, was recognized for committing human rights atrocities, together with conducting mass executions of civilians, suicide bombings and kidnappings.
Al Hafyan allegedly bought the meals kits on the black market to the ANF commanders, falsifying paperwork to make it seem to be refugees have been receiving the meals.
The U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the District of Columbia, USAID OIG, and the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division have been concerned within the case.
“This defendant not solely defrauded the U.S. authorities, however he additionally gave the humanitarian help he stole to a overseas terrorist group,” U.S. Lawyer Matthew Graves said in November. “Whereas this overseas terrorist group fought with the merciless al-Assad regime, the individuals who have been alleged to obtain the help suffered.”
Another examples of misuse of USAID funds prosecuted by the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the District of Columbia relate to a spread of fraud schemes.
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In a single case, a former govt of a digital consulting agency in Delaware agreed to pay a $100,000 settlement to resolve allegations that he knowingly triggered firm workers to submit false claims to USAID as a way to obtain authorities contracts, overbill and cost for work that was by no means carried out, in accordance with a 2022 complaint.
In another case, a worldwide well being nonprofit group based mostly in San Diego agreed to pay practically $550,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted false claims to USAID to obtain grants to purportedly present agricultural and different help to creating international locations.
In one other case, the Worldwide Rescue Committee agreed to pay $6.9 million to settle allegations underneath the False Claims Act associated to USAID-funded programming associated to the civil struggle in Syria. The cash IRC obtained was supposed for humanitarian help however IRC employees participated in a kickback scheme with a Turkish provide ring involving contract bid rigging as a substitute, in accordance with the complaint.
In one other case, a former NGO official was sentenced to 40 months in jail for paying bribes to NGO officers in trade for delicate procurement info associated to NGO contracts partially funded by USAID. On this case, for 5 years, a Turkmenistan citizen coordinated a bid-rigging scheme, instructed workers to misinform regulation enforcement brokers and destroyed emails associated to the investigation, in accordance with the complaint.
In one other case, a former USAID deputy director and resident of Maryland pled responsible to costs associated to a contract-steering scheme, conspiracy to defraud the USA and making false statements to regulation enforcement, in accordance with the complaint.
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
