Posted on 02/22/2007 10:44:27 PM PST by Mount Athos
A Pakistani immigrant accused of burning down his grocery store in Everett and trying to make it look like a hate crime has been convicted of arson.
Mizra Akram, 40, could face as much as five years in prison for the crime. U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman convicted him Wednesday.
Akram owned Continental Spices, a Pakistani and Middle Eastern grocery. Prosecutors said he recruited an acquaintance, Naveed Khan, to help set the July 2004 fire after the store's finances worsened.
The government alleged that the two tried to remove attention from themselves by spray-painting anti-Muslim graffiti around the store. Khan previously pleaded guilty to arson and testified against Akram.
During the investigation, police also discovered that Akram had used Continental Spices to commit more than $30,000 of food stamp fraud. Akram was already sentenced to 18 months after being convicted on that charge last summer.
"We are particularly pleased with the verdict in this case," said U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan. "By faking a hate crime, Akram falsely instilled fear in members of his community that they, too, might be subject to similar crimes. No one should have to live with that type of fear."
Akram is a legal U.S. resident but could be deported following his prison term, federal officials said.
Jail time and then deportation sounds good to me.
Man, I hope they deport him. We have enough native-born rent-seekers in this country. We don't need him.
Washington State ping :-)
And he falsely instilled an aura of guilt upon non-Muslims; that they are far more likely to commit hate crimes than they are. No one should have to live with that type of false guilt.
How many fake hate crimes are committed by Moslem against "themselves" as opposed to actual hate crimes committed by "Islamophobes" (not counting cartoons and dirty looks)?
"And he falsely instilled an aura of guilt upon non-Muslims; that they are far more likely to commit hate crimes than they are. No one should have to live with that type of false guilt."
And he falsely made liberal race-baiting weenies feel empowered with their fraudulent arguments. No one should have to put up with an arrogant liberal.
Nothing wrong with Muslims in America always looking over their shoulders.
Agreed, lots of great Navy folks (and others) there.
Actually, if my recollection serves, there's a sizable Iraqi population there that jubilantly danced in the streets after the liberation of Iraq. It's a very pro-America town (unlike Seattle where I am, unfortunately) and I'm guessing that there will not be a lot of support for this guy among any demographic there.
I hope you're right. My dad was stationed at Neah Bay in the 40's and our family all came from that part of the country. It is a good place with people of strong faith.
WA State Ping...JFK
They both need to appolgize to the white community and then DEPORT both of their sorry asses.
A similar thing happened recently here in Nebraska. The owner claims (owner is possibly Nigerian) he was tied up by two white guys who then went and set his store on fire. They're saying it was a hate crime, but it sure seems similar to this story.
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