How to destroy a rich Muslim American!

Malicious prosecution

By Jeffrey C. Billman
Published 7/17/03

At about 10 a.m. on Nov. 14, a federal SWAT team swarmed the 10,000-square foot, $3 million Isleworth mansion of Jesse Issa Maali, a 57-year-old, Palestinian-born entrepreneur who made a fortune selling T-shirts to tourists on I-Drive. Coincidentally, It was the same month that Maali's palatial, marble-floored home was featured on the cover of Orlando Home Design Magazine.

The raid was a decisive strike in the war against terrorism, and federal agents wanted the world to know about it. So they tipped the local media well in advance, which is why there were news helicopters hovering over the Maali home when agents knocked on the door. Jesse Maali's wife, Jihad Maali, answered. She said later that she thought it was a delivery from Federal Express. Instead, agents brandishing M-16 assault rifles rushed the house, pointed their weapons at members of the Maali family -- including a pregnant daughter-in-law -- and herded them into the family room. Jesse was interrogated and arrested. Agents searched the house and seized business-related documents.

The raid was the most visible aspect of "Operation Thunderdome," the federal crackdown on 13 of Maali's businesses and offices. Four of Maali's managers and business associates were arrested that day. His accountant, David Portlock, was collared a few days later.

It was high drama, seemingly out of proportion to the charges that resulted: 53 counts of encouraging illegal aliens to enter the country and work for him, and two counts of conspiring to launder money in order to pay the illegals off the books.

Maali's partner, M. Saleem Khanani, faced the exact same 55 counts, but no SWAT team showed up as his door. He was quietly arrested and posted a $150,000 bond.


http://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/story.asp?ID=4022