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 | | From: | United Press International | | Subject: | Palestinian figure dies of lung cancer | | Date: | Sun, 23 Jan 2005 11:23:03 EST |
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ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Jesse Maali, in the midst of
a criminal investigation into alleged Palestinian terrorist ties,
has died of lung cancer in Florida. He was 59.
Maali, a Palestinian who live in Orlando, built a tourist
empire. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in August as he prepared
to defend himself on charges of hiring illegal immigrant workers,
money laundering and income tax evasion.
"The family is holding strong, and they are sticking
together," Chad Maali, 34, one of Maali's five children, told the
Orlando Sentinel.
U.S. Attorney Paul Perez said prosecutors would meet this
week to discuss the Maali case, considering whether to go ahead with
civil forfeiture proceedings.
Two portraits of Maali have emerged since federal
prosecutors first filed charges: that of a hardworking,
detail-oriented businessman vs. a micromanaging mastermind who
operated through shell companies.
Relatives said Maali was the victim of government hysteria
in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The
investigation, however, began in 1999.
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