ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 13, 1997 TAG: 9703130074
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE THE ROANOKE TIMES
Ahmad Thiab, one of 10 defendants in an organized crime case in Roanoke was arrested at Dulles International Airport.
One of the owners of Mixers Restaurant and Lounge - the last defendant to be located in a federal racketeering and arson case involving the Abed family of Roanoke - was arrested without incident Wednesday as he got off a plane at Dulles International Airport.
Ahmad Thiab, listed as either 42 or 48, had been under surveillance by Scotland Yard since the weekend, after authorities located him in London, according to Jim Silvey, resident agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms' Roanoke office.
Sources indicated that Thiab was making arrangements to travel to the United States and to Jordan, Silvey said.
Scotland Yard investigators armed with an international arrest warrant watched Thiab get on a flight to Washington, D.C., Wednesday morning. If he had not gotten on the flight, they would have arrested him, Silvey said. But by waiting until he arrived in the United States, Roanoke federal prosecutors avoided a possibly lengthy extradition process.
"We had a lot of good international help," Silvey said.
The ATF had information that Thiab knew he was wanted on federal charges and intended to return to Roanoke, Silvey said.
Thiab is being held in the Alexandria jail and is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate in Northern Virginia today.
He is charged with arranging with Joseph Abed to burn the financially strapped Apperson Drive restaurant and bar in April 1994. Abed is accused of having his son and three nephews burn the place down on a Saturday night as about 75 patrons danced and partied inside.
Thiab and his partner, Riyadh Gibriel, tried to collect insurance on the business, but were denied after the fire was ruled arson. They unsuccessfully sued the insurance company, which won in a civil trial last fall.
Gibriel also faces arson and related charges, and is alleged to have participated in the fire. He was arrested last week, along with eight others indicted, and was denied bond.
Gibriel and Thiab are not charged with racketeering, as the Abed family members and two associates are.
LENGTH: Short : 48 linesby CNB