DETROIT –– The magical reach of the Internet, and the challenges it presents authorities, is illustrated in this case involving popular Dearborn cleric Ahmad Jebril, who is on probation after serving time for a fraud.
Niraj Warikoo of the Detroit Free Press reports that U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen is cracking down on the cleric, who has gained worldwide popularity with the extremist militant group that announced last week the formation of an Islamic state in Iraq and Syria.
Rosen has ordered that Jebril, 43, must stay in the eastern half of Michigan and tell his probation officer about his activity on social media accounts when requested, the Freep writes. He was released from prison in 2012.
Warikoo writes:
Jebril, who is on probation until March after serving 6½ years in prison on fraud convictions, has become the most popular religious figure for Western fighters flocking to Syria to battle its government — and continues to gain fans online who sympathize with the group that now calls itself the Islamic State.
The Freep reports that Rosen’s order doesn’t restrict what Jebril says online. But he has to get approval to use any computer equipment, and he has to provide passwords for all accounts. He will also be monitored with GPS technology, and he can be subjected to searches of his car and home.
The restrictive order came after a probation report stated that he violated probation by lying about the location of a post office box in Dearborn Heights, and failed to notify authorities about speaking engagements in November at two universities and a mosque in North Carolina, the Freep reported.
Needless to say, he’s not happy, and has said so much on his Twitter account.
He was convicted of several counts of fraud involving nearly $400,000, and included allegations that he trashed his rental properties in Metro Detroit to collect insurance, and trying to bribe a juror.
