Aftab Ali may have given money to the Times Square bomber without knowing it. However, he is charged with immigration fraud and making false statements.
Ali came to the U.S. in August 2009 to marry his fiancée. He later married a different woman. The charges say he got a job at a gas station in Brookline, Massachusetts, though he had no work permit. They also say he hid this job from the U.S. government.
The charges also say Ali borrowed $4,900 from his boss and gave it to Faisal Shahzad, the Times Square bomber. In return, Ali's family in Pakistan got an equal amount of money. Ali is not accused of knowing how Shahzad would use the money.
After Shahzad tried to set off his bomb in Times Square, agents searched Ali's apartment. They asked him about his status in the U.S. The agents say Ali made false statements, and didn't mention his job at the gas station.
printable:Download Pakistani Charged with Immigration Fraud.pdf