Debbie Schlussel: Was this Police Chief Paid Off by Terrorists?
Why did East St. Louis Police Chief Ron Matthews lie to a grand jury and obstruct ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents in the investigation and arrest of a Muslim Arab felon, who appears to be an illegal alien?
Matthews was indicted and is about to stand trial for obstructing the investigation into Ayoub "Dave" Qattoum, a convicted felon who illegally possessed a gun. Incredibly, Qattoum served as an auxilliary police officer for Matthews.
Qattoum was already convicted for felony trafficking in counterfeit goods in Wisconsin. Many investigations have traced counterfeit goods trafficking to money-laundering and fundraising for terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda. Qattoum is a Jordanian national, which means he is probably a Palestinian (as most Jordanians are).
Matthews took a pay-off from Qattoum for returning the illegal gun to Qattoum, instead of turning it over to ICE agents. We wonder if he took other pay-offs from him, why he allowed him to serve as a volunteer on his police force given his convictions, and whether Qattoum is tied to terrorist groups. We also wonder why Qattoum was still in this country after becoming a convicted felon. He was sentenced to a year in prison for this latest saga, and we hope he will be deported afterward.
Posted by Debbie on December 8, 2005 02:47 PM to Debbie Schlussel