Las Vegas agencies investigating if there's a terrorism link in casino counterfeit case July 23
LAS VEGAS - Authorities are investigating whether there is a terrorism link between seven men charged in a Las Vegas casino counterfeit check scheme and a Jordanian-American man arrested in Detroit with dlrs 12 million in phony cashier's checks.
"The checks in Detroit and the checks here were all drawn on the same bank," said Secret Service Agent Lee Fields, of the Las Vegas office. "The bank exists. The account numbers do not exist."
Officials at the FBI and U.S. attorney's office in Las Vegas confirmed Tuesday that a multi-agency joint terrorism task force was investigating the June 12 arrests of the men at the MGM Grand hotel-casino.
Questions arose after the July 17 arrest of Omar Abdul-Fatah Hamed Shishani, 47, as he stepped off a flight from Indonesia at Detroit Metro Airport.
Authorities say he had nine counterfeit checks drawn from West America Bank in Pomona, California, — the same bank connected to three phony cashier's checks seized during the arrest of the seven men.
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According to court documents, an undercover Las Vegas police detective infiltrated the counterfeiting ring in May.
Each of the seven men has pleaded innocent to charges of possession of counterfeit securities and conspiracy. Lawyers for some of the men, reached Tuesday by The Associated Press, denied any terrorism connection.
Jimmy Leung, Aziz Massomipour, Asatour Magzanian, Jaman Khan, Mohammad Nadery, Hans Walton and Henry Davis told authorities they are from Southern California. Massomipour, Magzanian, Nadery and Davis were freed on bond. Massomipour failed to appear for a subsequent court date and a fugitive warrant was issued for his arrest.
Leung, Walton and Khan remain in federal custody in Las Vegas.