A Palestinian immigrant who federal probation officials are recommending get a four-month sentence on one count of failure to declare $28,995 he had when he crossed into Matamoros through the Gateway Bridge on April 18, 2018 is facing a possible 10 years on separate charges in state court.
George Rafidi was arraigned on five counts contained in the 197th District Court today on an indictment issued by a Cameron County grand jury April 24, 2019 of "making a false entry in a governmental record" when he renewed the application for auto-sales licenses in 2009, 2013, 2016, and twice in 2017."
The sate indictment charges that Rafidi did not disclose on the auto-sales license applications that he had a criminal record out of the State of Israel. He owns several used-car lots in Cameron County and a money exchange business.
Judge/Magistrate Adolfo Cordova set bond on the Palestinian man at $5,000 per count for a total bond of $25,000. However, since Rafidi is being held under a federal immigration detainer, he cannot be released until he goes to federal court. Magallanes set his trial date on the state charges for June 24.
"Mr Rafidi is ready to go to court on June 24," said his attorney Reynaldo "Trey" Garza, noting that Rafidi had been held in custody on the federal count for more than a year.
If the federal judge agrees with the Assistant U.S. Attorney and the federal probation officer who signed a plea bargain agreement packet with Rafifi and recommended "credit for Acceptance of Responsibility, sentencing at the low end of the guideline level Rafidi scores and dismissal of the remaining (five) counts," he could be a free if given credit for time served.
The initial federal indictment issued March 5, 2019 listed six counts of lying on his Lawful Permanent Resident application in 2007, noting that Rafidi had belonged to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and was jailed by an Israeli military tribunal after he was shot in the chest during a popular demonstration against Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
Garza and federal prosecutors handling the case negotiated the plea bargain that whittled down the six counts in the original indictment to just one, his failure to declare $28,995 he was carrying when he crossed into Matamoros through the Gateway Bridge on April 18, 2018.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained and then released him after ascertaining that Rafidi - who owns a check-cashing service and several used car dealerships - had simply neglected to remove the money from the car before crossing into Mexico.
With Rafidi going before the federal judge for sentencing July 11, he may find himself in the incongruous situation where he could get credit from the federal court for time served and face state prison time on the state charges which carry a sentence of two years each.
When the story of Rafidi's case burst upon the news cycle it had all the elements of a "sexy" story.
Here was a supposed Palestinian terrorist in our midst who had infiltrated South Texas under false pretenses and then (according to one television station) he pleaded guilty to being involved with a Palestinian terrorist organization and laundering money to ship overseas.
Unfortunately, the facts get in the way of the good story.
Rafidi claimed he was forced to make confession of his membership in the PFLP by Israeli soldiers who tortured him after he was removed from the hospital where he was being treated for his gunshot wound.
Born in Ramallah, Palestine, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Rafidi came to the United States in 2002 after he was granted asylum because he feared prosecution by Israeli authorities.
"If you are a Palestinian, you have very little choice in supporting the resistance groups like the PFLP," said a business associate in South Texas. "If you don't support them they think you are a collaborator with the Israelis. They may even kill you. There's nowhere to go."
In the Israeli judgment against him on July 1997, the military court noted that he was a very minor participant and was given a minor sentence. He was found guilty because while he was a university student he admitted he "flew flags" and "wrote prohibited slogans." (Click on graphic to enlarge.)
Before he completed the 18-month sentence, he was released early as part of a prisoner exchange.
The federal plea packet memo mentions nothing about money laundering or of sending money to the PFLP and those charges were not contained in the original indictment.
"He was never charged with terrorism here or in Israel, never," Garza said.
But that didn't stop local media from having a field day with one (Channel 5) saying the "court records reveal he pled guilty to being involved with a Palestinian terrorist organization..." and quoted Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz saying that "we believe that some of the proceeds of that money is being shipped overseas."
The DA's Office and the federal investigators from U.S. Homeland Security raided Rafidi businesses in Brownsville, Laguna Heights and San Benito as well as his home in Brownsville following the man's indictment by a Cameron County grand jury April 24, 2019 on five counts of "making a false entry in a governmental record" when he renewed the application for auto-sales licenses in 2009, 2013, 2016, and twice in 2017.
The indictment said the false entry was that (Rafidi) has a criminal record in the State of Israel, a reference to his imprisonment after he was wounded in the anti-Israeli demonstration in 1997, 22 years ago. His family and close business associates say there is an injustice being perpetrated against Rafidi.
"George is a tireless worker and businessman," said an associate. "He is no terrorist. The state charges are baseless. When you are a Palestinian living in occupied Palestine, you are considered a criminal just for expressing your opinion against the occupiers. This has been very unfair to him and his family."
3 comments:
So is brownsville pd sergeant Carlos zamorano going to faces charges also? he is also a business partner of Rafidis at the car lots, gets inside information from Carlos. I guess it's OK to have men like working under new chief sauced.
This dude lied to get into the country and lied again when trying to obtain citizenship. This is why his ass is in a crack and not what he did back in the sand box. Oh, I realize he was just some benighted soul that wanted to come to America and so breaking the law is OK. Just another poor migrant tring to get ahead. Bull shit, beaking the law to be here is not OK. They have not paid their dues in blood, sweat and tears of their ancestors. They just can't walk in here against the law and think they have some kind of right to be here.
In addition to the lies he told to the Feds to gain entry and citizenship, he lied on the application for his business license and his application for a CHL. I realize you are far,far to the left, but I don't see how even you can defend this piece of shit.
Post a Comment