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Acquired passports Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021029/ap_wo_en_po/antigua_us_sniper_2 http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021029/ap_wo_en_po/antigua_us_sniper_2 AP World Politics Antiguan government investigating how U.S. sniper suspect acquired island passport Mon Oct 28, 7:51 PM ET By NATALIE FLEMING, Associated Press Writer ST. JOHN'S, Antigua - Antigua's government has formed a task force to investigate charges that the prime suspect in the U.S. sniper shootings illegally acquired an Antiguan passport and was selling the Caribbean country's passports to others. Officials said on Monday that the four-person task force will investigate alleged passport fraud and racketeering by John Allen Williams, who changed his name to Muhammad when he converted to Islam. "It is bad enough that Antigua has been associated with the suspected sniper John Allen Williams," Prime Minister Lester Bird said in a statement. It "is now very important that we ensure that our system for granting passports is as secure as possible." If Muhammad was selling Antiguan passports and other documents, as neighbors and acquaintances have alleged, Bird said the investigation should determine how he got them. Neighbors and acquaintances said Muhammad would arrange for birth certificates, Antiguan passports and other papers for Jamaicans wanting to emigrate to the United States. To get his own Antiguan passport in 2000, Muhammad allegedly presented a falsified birth certificate from New Orleans, Louisiana, claiming his mother was Eva Ferris of Antigua. But Eva Ferris' family said she was not related to Muhammad and bore her own son three weeks before Muhammad's certificate indicated he was born on Dec. 31, 1960. Journalists patched together the information from interviews with neighbors, acquaintances and teachers from schools attended by Muhammad's children and his fellow-suspect, 17-year-old Jamaican John Lee Malvo. The two were arrested at a rest stop in Frederick County, Maryland, on Thursday. Attorney General Gertel Thom said Monday that the task force will be headed by attorney John Fuller and also include attorney Ralph Francis, retired police officer Cosmo Marcelle and a Roman Catholic priest, the Rev. Arnold Francis. The opposition United Progressive Party issued a statement saying the task force members are too closely associated with the government and that an independent commission should be formed. The party said Bird and Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Ena Thomas "must take full responsibility for the passport fiasco." The task force has until Thursday to issue an initial report to the attorney general, and is also to investigate how Malvo arrived on the island and his activities there. Thom said authorities have confirmed that Muhammad arrived in the country as early as March 28, 2000, under the false name Thomas Lee Allen. "At that time he was accompanied by three children — Lisa Lee, Theresa Lee and Fred Lee. He had an American drivers license," Thom said. It's not clear how long Muhammad and Malvo lived on the island. On March 11, 2001, however, police detained Muhammad at the airport after he attempted to check in for a flight under the false name James Edwards, Police Commissioner Truehart Smith said. Muhammad was held for two days but was not charged for lack of evidence, Smith said.

Acquired passports Bellingham Human smuggling Many identities { October 31 2002 } Warning year ago Files Listed: 5

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