A Palestinian terrorist was reportedly able to gain citizenship and live in the United States for almost a decade before his conviction was uncovered.
Vallmoe Shqaire was convicted of carrying out a terrorist attack against Israel in 1988 at the request of the terrorist Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), according to a bombshell report published by CNN Thursday, which sites records from a U.S. District Court in California.
The report states that 51-year-old Shqaire officially became a citizen in November 2008, even though his past conviction should have made him ineligible for citizenship. Shqaire was charged with illegally obtaining his American citizenship in December. (RELATED: REPORT: ISIS Gloats Over Notre Dame’s Destruction)
“By concealing his violent, terrorist conduct, defendant circumvented the procedures our immigration system depends upon,” prosecutors wrote according to CNN.
The report states:
Federal authorities have been aware since at least 2010 that Shqaire was arrested on a bombing-related charge in Israel and served time in prison. They’ve had fingerprint evidence conclusively linking him to the terrorist act, committed under the name Mahmad hadr Mahmad Shakir, since early 2016, according to federal court records.
Since becoming a citizen 11 years ago, Shqaire has worked as a parking valet in California, his attorney Mark Werksman, said according to CNN. Werksman also said that his client is not a threat and was just looking to escape the chaos of the Middle East. (RELATED: Trump Is Correcting Obama’s Biggest Middle East Mistake)
“Mr. Shqaire wanted nothing more than to be an American and to contribute positively to American society,” he wrote.
As part of a plea agreement Shqaire entered into earlier this year, he will lose his citizenship and be removed from the country. Shqaire is still living in Los Angeles, California, as he awaits a possible prison sentence.