Around the state
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Imam’s citizenship — U.S. authorities are seeking to revoke the citizenship of an Oregon imam who they say tried to conceal past associations with radical Islamic groups. In a petition filed Monday in federal court in Portland, the U.S. Department of Justice said Mohamed Sheikh Abdirahman Kariye raised money, recruited fighters and provided training for insurgent groups battling Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Government lawyers say Kariye for a time “dealt directly” with al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden and recruited sympathizers in the United States and Pakistan. Federal authorities say Kariye failed to reveal those details in his application for citizenship.
Toddler’s 3-story fall — An Aloha toddler was in critical condition after falling from a third-story window, landing on his father. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said the child’s mother was giving her two sons a bath Sunday evening, when the 2-year-old boy tried to get a look through the window at his father, who was walking the family dog below. The screen gave way, but the father prevented him from landing directly on pavement. A neighbor started CPR and a deputy soon helped revive the boy, who was then taken to a Portland hospital.
Sex change and disability fraud — An Oregon resident who transitioned to a woman more than three decades ago fraudulently collected nearly $250,000 by never telling the Social Security Administration about the switch. Court records show Richelle McDonald was born Richard McDonald in 1945. In 1974, Richard claimed disability because he was unable to work after being hit by a bus. In the 1970s, McDonald applied for a Social Security number as Richelle. She worked under that name until 2012 while continuing to collect disability as Richard. McDonald pleaded guilty to Social Security fraud in December and was sentenced Monday to eight months of home confinement. She must also pay restitution. The 70-year-old apologized in court.