Convictions Affirmed (and Reinstated) in "Care International" Prosecution

* United States v. Mubayyid and Muntasser (1st Cir. Sep. 1, 2011) (reinstating and affirming convictions) In 1993, Emadeddin Muntasser incorporated a charitable organization called Care International, Inc., ostensibly to raise money for humanitarian aid worldwide.  The government later charged that the organization was at least in part a front for raising money for the jihad movement, and that Muntasser, Mubayyid, and another defendant had conspired to defraud the government by obstructing IRS tax collection efforts; filed false tax returns; made false statements to FBI investigators; and conspired to conceal material facts from a federal agency.    The trial produced a mixed verdict.  The judge directed acquittal on some charges, but the jury convicted Muntasser and Mubayyid of all other counts against them.  Both they and the government appealed, and the First Circuit yesterday issued an opinion reversing the trial judge’s directed acquittal and affirmed the defendants other convictions. The full opinion (somewhat long and focused on some pretty granular issues, but nonetheless an interesting read) is here (for some reason the First Circuit’s website wasn’t working for me this morning, so I’ve linked instead to a version posted by the website “Leagle”).