Called terrorism tipline in revenge
A Syrian Jew named Rimon Alkatri has been sentenced to six months in jail and a fine of $5,000 for phoning a terrorism tipline and falsely reporting that “five Arabs” were planning to suicide bomb the New York City subway system.
The six month sentence imposed was far less than the seven years in prison Alkatri could have received, leaving one of his victims flabbergasted at the lenience. “Six months only?” Fares Almari said. “We’ve been suffering for one and a half years. I will work all of my life to sue this guy. I will spend each dollar I have.” Four of Alkatri’s five Arabic speaking victims have been called former business partners of Alkatri, a jeweller. A fifth was a friend of the partners.
On May 30, 2006, Alkatri called the New York terrorism hotline with a disposable prepaid cellphone, telling an NYPD officer about a plot being hatched by a five man Arab terror cell aiming to strike the subway on the Fourth of July. Saying that he was “Jose Rodriguez from Israel,” Alkatri pushed all the right buttons, using words like “suicide bombers,” “Arabs,” “terrorists” and “Allah Akbar” in his call.Alkatri’s fake “tip” led to a police swoop on the five Arab speakers, complete with bomb detection dogs, dozens of cops, undercover surveillance, and a request for Israeli terrorism expertise. After interrogation of the suspects, police came to realize that they had been hoaxed. New York commuters were only informed after police had resolved the case.
Generally, foreign felons face deportation when released, but Alkatri’s lawyer pleads an exception. Since Alkatri is Jewish, his lawyer Michael L. Soshnick contends that he will face “death” if sent back to his Syrian homeland.