The Curious Case of Anwar al-Awlaki's 2002 Arrest Warrant for Passport Fraud

Anwar al-Awlaki was known as the "9/11" imam, and more  recently as the Fort Hood massacre and "underwear bomber imam.  9/11 investigators caught a criminal act when, after getting a birth certificate showing he was born in New Mexico, and using that and his social security number in 1993 to get a US passport so that he could travel to Yemen, on returning as a student  he got ANOTHER  social security number and stated he was born in Yemen to get ANOTHER US passport to go with his Yemen citizenship. However, in 1996 had had quietly corrected his ss number that he had used in 1993. The US chose to drop the case for lack of evidence of a CURRENT crime, but the original passport investigator who had successfully closed hundreds of cases says it was solid based on the crime that was committed at the crime, even if fixed later, and Joint Terrorism Task Force people were floored that this let Awlaki slip away to Yemen where he since risen to the #1 wanted man judging by Obama placing him on a kill list even if he's not on the FBI's terrorist wanted list.

Timeline:

Year 1993

• Nov. 18, 1993:  Applies for a U.S. passport in Fort Collins, Colo. This will be subject of arrest as his 2nd SS security number as a Yemen citizen is believed to be a fraud. 3 years later in 1996 he corrects his SS application birthplace to New Mexico which causes charges to be dropped when discovered in 2002, but it was fraudulent at the time even if corrected later
• http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/US_v_AlAwlaki_arrestwarrant.pdf
  5. On November 18, 1993 .. claiming to be born April 21, 1971 in Las Cruces New Mexico .. presented State of Mexico Certificate of Birth, 1382371 reflecting the name Anmwar Nasser Abdulla Aulaqi,  born April 22, 1971 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Subject provided his SS number. HE had previously been issued an U.S. passport #Z6281365 on 01/13/1988
  8. applied for the passport on November 18, 1993 using a social security number that he had obtained by fraud. His use of this number violates the terms and conditions as stated on a DSP-11, application for a passport and constitutes fraud. 

Year 1996

• Mr Awlaki goes to San Diego in 1996, where he took charge of the city's Masjid Ar-Ribat al-Islami mosque. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8438635.stm. During his four years there, his sermons were attended by two future 9/11 hijackers, Khalid al-Midhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi
• In 2002, Gaouette's office will decided to rescind the warrant after it was discovered that Awlaki had somehow "corrected" his place of birth at a Social Security office in 1996, three years after he applied for the passport. 
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 Year 2001

• Sept 11 attacks. Awlaki has been linked since 1999 to purchase of Osama Bin Laden's sattelite phone and evidently coaching and meeting with 3 of the hijackers, some of whom follow Awlaki to Virginia.

Year 2002

• 2002: Federal prosecutors in Colorado receive information from Ray Fournier, a federal diplomatic security agent in San Diego who was investigating Awlaki for passport fraud.
• Agents discovered that the U.S.-born Awlaki had falsely indicated on his 1990 Social Security number application that he had been born in Sana'a, Yemen. Because the statute of limitations had passed, agents could not charge Awlaki with social security fraud. However, when Awlaki used his Social Security number to apply for a U.S. passport in Denver several years later investigators believed he could be successfully charged with felony passport fraud because the alleged offense had occurred within the ten-year statute of limitations. 
• When the case was presented to the Denver U.S. Attorney's Office, prosecutors decided to pursue an arrest warrant, which was signed off on by a federal judge in June of 2002.
• , though as a first offender, he most likely would have received a six-month sentence. Still, investigators say they thought it was worth it for a chance to detain and hold the radical cleric.
• June 17, 2002: Federal magistrate in Colorado signs warrant for Awlaki’s arrest for passport fraud.
• October 2002: A federal diplomatic special agent in Colorado began investigating in preparation to take the case to a grand jury learns Awlaki corrected the place of birth on his Social Security application to New Mexico.
  Oct. 8, 2002: FBI electronic communication, interview re: Awlaki. (9/11 Commission Report)
  Oct. 9, 2002: Arrest warrant rescinded.http://sethhettena.com/blog/?page_id=433
•  Oct. 10, 2002: Arrives in New York on a Saudi Airlines flight from Riyadh. Briefly detained by INS.
• Oct. 11, 2002: Criminal case terminated.
• http://www.jihadwatch.org/2009/12/feds-dropped-case-against-hasans-jihadist-imam-in-2002.html

 Year 2009

• November Awlaki is fingered as Nidal Hassan (Fort Hood Massacre) suspect's spiritual advisor who condones shooting of US soldiers headed to Iraq and Afghanistan
• December 7: U.S. Attorney David Gaouette defended the decision to rescind a 2002 felony arrest warrant for radical Islamic cleric Anwar Awlaki, saying that his office determined there was insufficient evidence to pursue the case.
• December 25: Awlaki is known to be spiritual advisor, trainer, and possible planner of Flight 253 "underpants" bombing

Here's details from the arrest warrant:
http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/US_v_AlAwlaki_arrestwarrant.pdf 
2. On June 5, 1990, Anwar aulaqi, born April 21, 1971 entered the United  States through Port of entry Chicago per INS records using Yemen passport ..
3. On June 6, 1990 .. claiming to be born April 21, 1971 in Sana'a, Yemen executed an SS-5 [ss application .. HE is a "Legal Alien Allowed to Work" .. provided passport as evidence of Yemeni citizenship and identify
4. On June 8, 1990 .. issued SSN per SS records
5. On November 18, 1993 .. claiming to be born April 21, 1971 in Las Cruces New Mexico .. presented State of Mexico Certificate of Birth, 1382371 reflecting the name Anmwar Nasser Abdulla Aulaqi,  born April 22, 1971 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Subject provided his SS number. HE had previously been issued an U.S. passport #Z6281365 on 01/13/1988
8. applied for the passport on November 18, 1993 using a social security number that he had obtained by fraud. His use of this number violates the terms and conditions as stated on a DSP-11, application for a passport and constitutes fraud.