MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — Pete Seda is due to report to prison next week to begin serving nearly three years for money-laundering and tax-evasion convictions related to an Islamic charity that once operated in Ashland.
Seda is at the center of long-running legal battles over the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation and allegations it was used to smuggle money to rebels in Chechnya.
The Medford Mail Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/xOhvIQ ) his lawyers have asked a federal appeals court to allow him to remain free on bail while he appeals the convictions. They say he’s had a spotless record wearing an electronic GPS bracelet.
Prosecutors, though, say he’s a flight risk. They cite two years as a fugitive in the Middle East and say his dual citizenship could allow him to get an Iranian passport and flee.
