Charges dropped in fake kidnapping Plane diverted to BIA in February 2004

BANGOR – Federal charges have been dropped against a Chicago investment banker who claimed last February he had been kidnapped by Arabs and forced onto a Moroccan-bound flight that was diverted to Bangor because of a bomb threat.

Zubair Ali Ghias, 28, was charged with making false statements to the FBI after the events of February 2004. If convicted, he would have faced a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Chicago man allegedly faked his own kidnapping last Valentine’s Day to get away from his pregnant wife, Jehan Ara Ameen, 27, with whom he had squabbled.

Federal charges were dropped after Ghias pleaded guilty to a criminal charge brought by the state of Illinois and to a civil suit brought by the city of Chicago, which both stemmed from the alleged kidnapping.

Federal prosecutors said they thought it was not in the interest of justice to continue the federal prosecution of Ghias “for conduct so closely related to the two Illinois cases,” according to the motion to dismiss filed on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Bangor.

“In double jeopardy, you can’t prosecute someone for the same offense twice,” Assistant U.S. Attorney James McCarthy of Bangor said Friday afternoon. “The major exception to that is that the state, a city, and the federal government are separate sovereigns. It wouldn’t be a violation of double jeopardy if we continued this prosecution.”

Ghias is “very relieved” that the charges have been dropped, his attorney, Mark Rotert of Chicago, said Friday in a telephone interview.

“It’s important for anyone in a certain stance like this to go forward with their life without being concerned that their actions would impact the rest of their life,” Rotert said.

Ghias will serve two years of probation and has paid $13,000 in restitution to the Chicago police for the cost of their kidnapping investigation.

The incident began when Ameen, who was six months pregnant, reported her husband missing when he did not return to their $270,000 condominium on the city’s north side for dinner on Feb. 14, 2004. His 2004 Range Rover was found Feb. 17, 2004, abandoned in Chicago’s South Side.

Ghias, who works at J.P. Morgan Chase in Chicago, called his family in Chicago on Feb. 19, two days after his car was found, and said he was being kidnapped by Arabs and forced to board Royal Air Maroc Flight 201.

The Transportation Security Agency Administration diverted the flight to Bangor after hearing of a bomb threat, the agency said.

No bomb was ever found. Ghias admitted to the hoax after his plane was diverted, and he later told an FBI interviewer that his actions might have stemmed from love dementia.

After the flight was diverted, Ghias spent the weekend in Piscataquis County Jail and then returned home to Chicago in the company of his wife and other family members.

Ameen and Ghias’ parents traveled to Bangor for Ghias’ initial appearance at federal court in Bangor.

His wife gave birth nine months ago to a boy.

“They are still married,” Rotert said. “They appear to be happily married … Zubair and his wife and his baby are virtually inseparable.”

Rotert said that his client’s probation conditions specify that he must report to his probation officer and notify the officer if he will do any significant travel.