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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Two males smuggled weapons from Cleveland to Lebanon over the course of a number of years, in keeping with an indictment unsealed Tuesday.
Authorities say one of many males is a member of the safety workforce for a high-powered Lebanese politician.
George Ajaltouni, previously of Rocky River and North Olmsted, and Jean Issa of Batroun, Lebanon, are charged in an eight-count federal indictment that accuses them of conspiracy, gun-smuggling and unlawfully exporting weapons.
The duo smuggled dozens, probably a whole bunch, of weapons purchased at space gun dealerships and at gun reveals round Northeast Ohio, packed them into secret compartments in modified vehicles and shipped them to Beirut, in keeping with the indictment.
Issa was beforehand arrested and stays in custody abroad, in keeping with prosecutors. Ajaltouni left the USA for Lebanon years in the past and has remained there.
Ajaltouni, 47, grew to become a physique guard for Gebran Bassil, the chief of Lebanon’s largest Christian political celebration and the son-in-law of Lebanon’s president Michel Aoun.
Bassil holds vital energy in that nation. The U.S. Division of State in 2020 sanctioned Bassil over what it referred to as “systemic corruption” within the authorities.
Ajaltouni, when he lived in Cleveland, owned a Georgio’s Pizza store on Dennison Avenue close to West 74th Avenue and was an avid volleyball participant, in keeping with court docket information and the FBI. In 2012, he gave a speech throughout a reception for Bassil at a downtown Cleveland restaurant.
A federal grand jury in 2016 handed up the indictments, whereas the FBI tried to search out and arrest Ajaltouni. The instances remained sealed till Tuesday, when federal prosecutors and the FBI requested for the general public’s assist to deliver him again to the USA. America and Lebanon shouldn’t have an extradition settlement.
The FBI additionally stated brokers are searching for one other man who fled to Lebanon, former Cleveland businessman Nakhle “Michael” Nader, 51. He was charged in 2019 with tax evasion. Nader is just not charged in reference to the gun-smuggling case, however he’s believed to be an affiliate of Ajaltouni, in keeping with the FBI.
Ajaltouni and Issa, 48, carried out the gun-smuggling scheme from Might 2011 via September 2014, the indictment stated.
Ajaltouni is accused of shopping for weapons legally from a number of locations round Northeast Ohio, together with gun reveals in Niles, Akron, East Canton, Berea, Medina and Columbus, in keeping with the indictment. He additionally purchased weapons off people and at licensed gun shops.
Ajaltouni purchased a number of vehicles and retrofitted them with secret compartments. Issa traveled from Beirut to Cleveland to assist Ajaltouni stash weapons in vehicles and ship them again to Beirut, in keeping with prosecutors.
Each then traveled to Beirut and offered the weapons for large income, the indictment says.
The duo shipped about 40 weapons every inside 4 vehicles in 2013, and 93 weapons— together with three rifles— inside a single automobile in 2014, court docket information say.
The investigation into Ajaltouni and Issa spawned two different separate instances— one in opposition to Nader and a separate case in opposition to Ajaltouni.
Ajaltouni is moreover charged with naturalization fraud. In that case, he’s accused of mendacity on naturalization varieties so his spouse, Nisrine El Khoury, might extra rapidly acquire citizenship.
Ajaltouni and El Khoury married in Lebanon in 2004, earlier than she got here to the U.S.
Shortly after she arrived, she married Ajaltouni’s brother, Steve, in Rocky River Municipal Courtroom, in keeping with court docket information. Steve Ajaltouni on the time was a naturalized citizen, which allowed El Khoury to acquire citizenship.
George Ajaltouni was a “lawful everlasting resident” however didn’t have full citizenship, in keeping with court docket information.
Steve Ajaltouni and El Khoury each beforehand pleaded responsible to fees within the case. Steve Ajaltouni was sentenced to at least one yr on probation and El Khoury to a few years on probation.
Nader’s fees accuse him of tax evasion from 2012 via 2015 at his three liquor shops in Cleveland.
Nader owned Financial institution Avenue Wine and Spirits on West sixth Avenue in downtown Cleveland, Mr. C’s Meals Mart on Shaw Avenue close to East 126th Avenue and Mr. C’s II on Superior Avenue close to East 59th Avenue. The FBI and IRS raided the shops in 2017.
Nader owned the companies however in official paperwork positioned them within the names of family, in keeping with the indictment.
He diverted cash he comprised of the enterprise to his private accounts and spent the money on hire, automobile funds, his mortgage, alimony funds and for touring, garments, eating and jewellery, in keeping with the indictment.
Nader can also be accused of failing to report revenue from a home he rented in North Royalton, court docket information say.
After he left Cleveland, Nader opened two eating places in Batroun, Lebanon, together with one referred to as Cheers Cousin Mike, in keeping with the FBI. He has a tattoo of Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary basic of Hezbollah and is believed to journey to Cyprus and France, the FBI stated.
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