/ 9/11 Law Enforcement Privacy

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M FROL\O\15355

······M~MORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

••••• EV~~l:lnterview of FBI speCi~;Agel1tc:J

Type of event: Interview

Dates: NovemberlZ, 2003

Special Access Issues: 'None

Prepared by: Michael Jacobson

\Team Number: lA " "

Loeanen: FBI, San Diego Field Office '.....

p~~iciPaDts - Non-Commission: Assistant G~h<lral, Counsel Randy Blair

Particlpants - Commission: John Tamm, Hyon Kim..Michael Jacobson

\, 'provided information on San Diego's investigation into allegations that the

•
money transmitters were involved in money laundering. The Financial Institutions Fraud
squad had information that there was money coming out of the Somalian community in
San Diego. It looked like they were structuring deposits. They wereinvestigating,
looking for indications of money laundering. There was a lot of money 'coming from
individuals in the community who were receiving public assistance benefits'r--1vas
on the Health Care and Government fraud squad). He spent a lot of time loo~
where the money was coming from and how it was being obtained. There were
allegations that these individuals were receiving money through fake accidents. The FBI
could never corroborate this information.

They then tried to focus in on the public funds fraud. They could not demonstrate
an intent on the part of the contributors that they knew their money was going to illicit
purposes. They couldn't demonstrate that they knew of the law and intended to violate it.
They couldn't show that the leaders were telling people to get on welfare so that they
could then get this money. They also didn't find anything significant in terms of what
they were doing with the commissions.

They did have 1 report about money going to the UAE and Switzerland. They
tried to get information from the intelligence community on al-Barakaat, They also
coordinated everything with the JTTF. Because of the wall, they got very little from the
intelligence side of the house, although they did have a report that al-Barakaat was
connected to terrorism. They have not demonstrated any terrorism ties on their side of
the house .