Maumee man gets 6 months in terror probe

Hallal Joseph, 31, owner of the Mugshots bar in Toledo, has been sentenced to 6 months in prison for making false statements in an terror probe. THE BLADE/JETTA FRASER Enlarge | Photo Reprints

Less than a week after his bar was ordered shuttered in city court as a public nuisance, the owner of Mugshots bar was sentenced in federal court to time in prison on an unrelated conviction for making false statements during a terrorism investigation.

Hallal Joseph, 31, of Maumee was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Toledo to six months in prison. He had pleaded guilty Sept. 14 for falsely denying to federal authorities he was aware his sister and her husband had tried to ship money to a terrorist group overseas.

Noting that federal guidelines recommended a sentence of between no time up to six months in prison, Judge James Carr ordered on Monday that Joseph serve the maximum.

The judge further noted -- as he did when sentencing Joseph's sister -- that those approached by someone discussing "jihad this and jihad that, you should assume they're working for the FBI."

Joseph's sister, Amera Akl, and her husband, Hor Akl, pleaded guilty in federal court in May to charges they conspired to smuggle money to Hezbollah, which the U.S. government designates a terrorist group.

Authorities said at the couple's plea hearing that they used latex gloves, plastic wrap, and fragrant insect repellent sticks to conceal about $200,000 inside a vehicle they planned to ship to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Amera Akl was sentenced in June to more than three years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of probation. Hor Akl has yet to be sentenced.

In a memorandum filed Feb. 8 in Joseph's case, the U.S. government noted he was present during several conversations between the Akls and an informant when plans to funnel upward of $1 million to Hezbollah were discussed.

During one interaction, Joseph said in response to a statement that the money being discussed was headed to Hezbollah: "I support Hezbollah."

Another conversation occurred at his family bar, the document stated.

The sentencing comes in the wake of an unrelated shooting at Joseph's bar, Mugshots on North Summit Street, that resulted in a Toledo Municipal Court judge issuing a temporary restraining order Feb. 7 that temporarily shut down the establishment. Judge C. Allen McConnell, who handles housing and nuisance issues, granted the city of Toledo's request to temporarily close the bar pending a hearing on Wednesday, citing nuisance complaints and prior criminal violations there.

The request followed shootings on Feb. 6 that left six people injured.

Brothers Rhaymoun Villolovos, 20, and Richard Villolovos, 22, both of 3460 Rock Ct., were indicted this week by a Lucas County grand jury on five counts each of felonious assault with a gun specification for the shootings.

They are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Lucas Common Pleas Court before Judge Linda Jennings.

Contact Erica Blake at: eblake@theblade.com or 419-213-2134.