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Jury Finds Aossey Guilty on 15 Counts in Exporting Scheme
The founder of a Halal foods exporting business in north-central Iowa was found guilty Monday of 15 of 19 federal felonies with which he was charged in a scheme to export beef to Malaysia and Indonesia without meeting the slaughter standards of those Muslim countries.
The federal jury in Cedar Rapids, IA, found William B. Aossey Jr. guilty on 15 counts, including conspiracy, falsifying export certificates, and wire fraud. The U.S. District Court for Northern Iowa jury found Aossey not guilty on four counts involving monetary transactions and money laundering.
William B. Aossey Jr.
The Cedar Rapids businessman, 73, is the founder of Midamar Corp., an exporter of Halal food that works in concert with Islamic Services of America (ISA), which certifies companies meeting Halal standards.
The jury that convicted Aossey was selected last Tuesday morning, and opening statements in the trial were made on the following afternoon. The prosecution called 16 witnesses before resting shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday.
Defense attorneys Haytham Faraj and Matthew Amarin put on four witnesses, including Aossey. The jury began deliberations at shortly after 1 p.m. Friday, but later in the afternoon adjourned for the week. The jury took up the case again at 9 a.m. today and reached its verdicts before lunch.
The events that led to Aossey’s conviction occurred between 2007 and 2010.
Later this summer, Aossey’s two sons, Midamar Corp., and ISA are scheduled to go on trial on similar charges. They were separately indicted last December.
Aossey was found guilty on the following 15 counts:
18:371 CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES with Forfeiture Allegation
(1)
18:371 CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES w/Forfeiture Allegation
(1s)
21:611(b)(5) and 18:2 FORGERY OF OFFICIAL DEVICE, MARK OR CERTIFICATE
(2-8)
21:611(b)(5) and 18:2 FORGERY OF DEVICES, MARKS, LABELS, CERTIFICATES
(2s-8s)
18:1343 and 2 FRAUD BY WIRE, RADIO, OR TELEVISION with Forfeiture Allegation
(9-15)
18:1343 and 2 WIRE FRAUD w/Forfeiture Allegation
(9s-15s)
Aossey was found not guilty on these four counts:
18:1957(a) and 2 ENGAGING IN MONETARY TRANSACTIONS with Forfeiture Allegation
(16)
18:1957(a) and 2 ENGAGING IN MONETARY TRANSACTIONS w/Forfeiture Allegation
(16s)
18:1957(a) and 2 ENGAGING IN MONETARY TRANSACTIONS with Forfeiture Allegation
(17-18)
18:1957(a) and 2 ENGAGING IN MONETARY TRANSACTIONS w/Forfeiture Allegation
(17s)
18:1957(a) and 2 ENGAGING IN MONETARY TRANSACTIONS w/Forfeiture Allegation
(18s)
18:1956(h) MONEY LAUNDERING – POSTAL, INTERSTATE WIRE, RADIO, ETC.
(19)
18:1956(h) MONEY LAUNDERING – POSTAL, INTERSTATE WIRE, RADIO, ETC. w/Forfeiture Allegation
(19s)
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Source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/07/iowa-jury-finds-aossey-guilty-on-15-counts-in-halal-exporting-scheme/
