Congress was not “clear and unambiguous,” but the “better reading” of federal law finds it did not intend to withhold jurisdiction from the district courts in deciding criminal violations under the Federal Meat Inspection Act. That finding by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit means the criminal convictions of William B. Aossey…
Halal appeals get meaty; federal court jurisdiction challenged
When it went through the trial court, the case just seemed like a switch-a-roo scheme that got busted. But now, a consolidated appeal with oral arguments planned is sparking broader interest because it’s become a question about the jurisdiction of federal courts. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has allowed the federal…
Consent decree clamps down, but lets Midamar try Halal again
Iowa’s Halal exporting company where for five years workers erased mandatory USDA Establishment numbers on products to hide the source of orders destined for Malaysia and Indonesia can continue in business. The U.S. Department of Agriculture came close to shutting down Midamar Corp. of Cedar Rapids, IA, which exports 200 Halal certified meat and poultry…
Halal Beef Scheme Could Have Millions of Potential Victims in Asia
Ahead of the yet-to-be scheduled sentencing of the defendants, the government wants to be relieved of the burden of notifying individual victims of a scheme that altered and falsified the true USDA establishment numbers on beef products exported from the United States. Government attorneys have asked the U.S. District Court for Northern Iowa to allow…
Midamar, Islamic Services Hit With $600,000 Forfeiture in Halal Case
A preliminary order of forfeiture has been entered in the U.S. District Court for Northern Iowa requiring defendants Midamar Corporation and Islamic Services of America to pay a judgment of $600,000 to the federal government. Signed by Chief Judge Linda R. Reade, the order was entered after the business entities each pleaded guilty to one…
Plea Agreements in Halal Case Could Mean Jail Time for Aossey Brothers
Outlines of the plea agreements between the government and brothers Jalel and Yahya Nasser Aossey were coming into focus ahead of today’s federal court hearings in Cedar Rapids, IA. 
Court documents suggest that Jalel Aossey and the corporate entities are each being allowed to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy. Yahya Nasser Aossey…
Iowa Federal Judge Orders Halal Food Exporter Detained Until Sentencing
His attorneys are trying to get him a new trial, but after being convicted by a jury July 13 on 15 federal felony counts, William B. Aossey Jr. was locked up. A new detention order means that he’ll remain locked up until sentencing. Aossey was found to be too much of a flight risk to…
Jury Finds Aossey Guilty of 15 Counts in Exporting Scheme
The founder of a Halal foods exporting business in north-central Iowa was found guilty Monday of 15 of 19 federal felonies with which he was charged in a scheme to export beef to Malaysia and Indonesia without meeting the slaughter standards of those Muslim countries. The federal jury in Cedar Rapids, IA, found William B.…
Halal Beef Exporter Takes the Witness Stand in His Own Defense
UPDATE: Jury deliberations began at about 1 p.m. Friday, but the jury did not reach any verdicts before adjourning until 9 a.m. Monday. Halal beef exporter William Aossey Jr. took the witness stand in his own defense Thursday in the federal trial over his role in an alleged Halal beef export scheme. The 73-year-old Aossey,…
Jury Trial Underway in Iowa Over Alleged Halal Beef Export Scheme
The trial of William Aossey Jr., 73, began Tuesday in U.S. District Court for Northern Iowa with opening statements and the first witness taking the stand. 
After the jury was selected, prosecution and defense attorneys offered competing theories about who was in charge at Midamar Corporation during the 2007-10 period when the alleged criminal conduct…
Iowa Halal Producer Gets Hearing on Seized Emails
A motion for an emergency protective order, which is being sought by attorneys for Midamar Corp. executives, will be heard Tuesday by a federal magistrate judge in Cedar Rapids, IA. 
Midamar founder William B. Aossey Jr. and his two sons want to regain control of emails they say were seized by federal agents last week…