Ardsley businessman accused of aiding terrorists

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Ardsley businessman accused of aiding terrorists

Timothy O'Connor
The Journal News

NEW YORK - An Ardsley businessman was accused yesterday of trying to funnel $152,000 to terrorists for night vision goggles at a training camp in Afghanistan.

Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, 53, of 472 Ashford Ave. was arrested in New York City by agents with the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI and New York City Police Department. An indictment was unsealed yesterday in U.S. District Court in New York charging Alishtari, who claims to be a banker, with financing terrorism, material support of terrorism, money laundering, wire fraud and conspiracy.

Federal prosecutors accuse Alishtari of accepting a payment to transfer $152,000 for an unidentified party with the understanding that the money was going to be used to fund terrorist training in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Alishtari also is accused of scamming millions of dollars from investors through a phony loan investment program called "Flat Electronic Data Interchange."

A woman who answered the phone at Alishtari's home yesterday and identified herself as his wife cried when informed of the charges against her husband. She said she last saw him Thursday when he left in a cab for a business meeting. FBI agents later raided the family's home, she said, without telling her why they were there.

"My husband is innocent," she said and declined further comment.

On his blog and on an MSN group titled "atalishtarispeeches," Alishtari calls himself a "conservative Republican" and a "Reagan Republican" devoted to peace, dedicated to halting child slavery as well as "Internet fraud, violence and online scams hurting innocent children, women, and families so help me God."

He blames past problems with Flat Electronic Data Interchange, which has an office in the Bronx, on an unnamed convicted financial fraud artist. Alishtari says he now heads a company called IDPixie LLC that purports to offer identity theft protection solutions. He also claims to be a two-time recipient of the National Republican Congressional Committee's New York state Businessman of the Year award. He says he founded the Global Peace Film Festival. Efforts to reach Nina Streich, the festival's director, were unsuccessful.

Federal authorities released few details about how the case against Alishtari started. The indictment makes no mention of an undercover operative or a cooperating witness. It is unclear whether the case was based on a sting operation.

The indictment charges that Alishtari arranged for the transfer of $152,000 in funds that "he believed were being sent to Pakistan and Afghanistan to be used to support a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan." He is accused of transferring $25,000 from a bank account in New York to one in Montreal as part of the scheme.

Alishtari was arraigned before a federal magistrate in Manhattan and ordered held without bail. He faces up to 95 years in prison if convicted. His lawyer, David Greenfield, did not return calls seeking comment.

Reach Timothy O'Connor at tpoconnor@lohud.com or 914-694-3523.

The charges

Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, 53, of Ardsley pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to an indictment accusing him of financing terrorism, material support of terrorism and other charges. The charges carry a potential penalty of 95 years in prison.