Document: government investigating Abdul Alani's connection, to terrorist organizations

A document on file with a federal court in Miami reveals the multitude of reasons why a judge in Miami, Florida denied bail and ordered former American Airlines mechanic Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani detained pending trial. 

Court papers reveal American Airlines terminated Alani's employment and that Alani moved out of the shared rental apartment where he lived for the past eight years, facts demonstrative of Alani and his family not only lacking sufficient income but lacking sufficient ties to the Miami area. Through counsel Alani proposed that if let out on bond, he would live with a brother-in-law in Orlando.

Court records validate earlier news reports that Alani was less than candid with Pre Trial Services, failing to disclose to a PTS officer of his travel to Iraq earlier this year. This led the court to doubt whether Alani would faithfully follow the requirements of a bond. 

Furthermore, court documents available to the public make known the message and content of a video Alani forwarded to a second individual:

"The government is engaged in an ongoing investigation of the Defendant's connection, if any, to ISIS or other terrorist organizations. Law enforcement inspected defendant's personal phone and learned that he had downloaded and retained a violent propaganda video by the terrorist group ISIS, and then forwarded that video to another person with a message espousing the wish that Allah cause harm to non-Muslims." 

As is often standard procedure for County Examiner, we publish the key portions of public documents so you can draw your own conclusions about the credibility of Alani's initial claims he disrupted airline operations to get overtime as a result of stalled contract negotiations between the airline and the mechanics union. 

 

Magistrate Judge imposes pre-trial detention on American Airlines mechanic determined to be flight risk

Earlier today the Associated Press reported the American Airlines mechanic charged with sabotaging an airplane in July 2019 was denied bail and is subject to pre-trial detention on the grounds he is a flight risk and a danger to the community at large.

Although County Examiner cannot independently confirm the AP reports at this time, they also report prosecutors presented evidence that Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani
has a brother in Iraq who may be involved with the Islamic State extremist group and other disconcerting details.

From the Associated Press:

The new evidence presented by prosecutors includes that Alani has a brother in Iraq who may be involved with the Islamic State extremist group as well as statements Alani made about wishing Allah would use “divine powers” to harm non-Muslims.  

Alani, 60, also recently sent a $700 wire transfer to someone in Iraq — where he has extended family — and had videos on his cellphone depicting Islamic State mass murders he shared with others, prosecutors said. In addition, the new evidence shows Alani traveled to Iraq in March but did not disclose that to authorities after his arrest.  

“You may be very sympathetic to terrorists,” Judge McAliley told Alani at the hearing. “That’s very disconcerting.

County Examiner also notes the most recent court filings reveal that at the advice of defense counsel, Alani dropped the use of an Arabic interpreter, although one remains on "standby". 

On September 9th we reported on the Federal Aviation Administration requirements for a US Citizen who seeks to obtain a mechanics certificate ----which include the ability to read, write, speak and understand English.