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. Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Columbia reveals the scope of how funds have been utilized in one current terrorism-related case.
“The case represents some of the vital diversions of USAID-funded humanitarian assist 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 by means of USAID to armed combatant teams, together with the Al-Nusrah Entrance (ANF), a chosen international 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 battle started in 2011, and thru 2020, U.S. taxpayers funded greater than $12 billion of USAID cash to Syria meant for meals and medical provides that was purported 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 response to the criticism. ANF, combating to overthrow the Syrian authorities, was identified for committing human rights atrocities, together with conducting mass executions of civilians, suicide bombings and kidnappings.
Al Hafyan allegedly offered the meals kits on the black market to the ANF commanders, falsifying paperwork to make it appear to be refugees have been receiving the meals.
The U.S. Legal professional’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 assist he stole to a international terrorist group,” U.S. Legal professional Matthew Graves said in November. “Whereas this international terrorist group fought with the merciless al-Assad regime, the individuals who have been purported to obtain the help suffered.”
Another examples of misuse of USAID funds prosecuted by the U.S. Legal professional’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 in an effort to obtain authorities contracts, overbill and cost for work that was by no means carried out, in response to a 2022 complaint.
In another case, a world well being nonprofit group based mostly in San Diego agreed to pay almost $550,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted false claims to USAID to obtain grants to purportedly present agricultural and different assist to creating international locations.
In one other case, the Worldwide Rescue Committee agreed to pay $6.9 million to settle allegations below the False Claims Act associated to USAID-funded programming associated to the civil battle in Syria. The cash IRC obtained was meant for humanitarian help however IRC workers participated in a kickback scheme with a Turkish provide ring involving contract bid rigging as a substitute, in response to 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 mislead legislation enforcement brokers and destroyed emails associated to the investigation, in response to the complaint.
In one other case, a former USAID deputy director and resident of Maryland pled responsible to prices associated to a contract-steering scheme, conspiracy to defraud america and making false statements to legislation enforcement, in response to the complaint.
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
