Opinion ID: 182627
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Ashraf's trial for refusing to obtain travel documents

Text: In March 2009, Ashraf was tried on the four counts arising out of ICE's various attempts to obtain his assistance regarding his travel documents. After both parties rested, but before closing arguments, Ashraf moved for acquittal pursuant to Rule 29 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. The district court overruled his motion. Ashraf was convicted on two counts and acquitted on two counts. The jury convicted him of willfully failing to obtain travel documents in connection with his July 2008 meeting with Hardy and his October 2008 meeting with Schubert, but acquitted him of this same charge concerning his September 2008 meeting with Brown. He was also acquitted of knowingly conniving or taking any other action for the purpose of preventing or hampering his departure. In July 2009, Ashraf moved for a new trial based on evidence that he acquired in May 2009 pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. This evidence consisted of an INS memorandum from 2002 regarding an investigation into Ashraf's immigration status in connection with his firearms conviction. The memorandum contained the opinion of an immigration officer that an application for permanent residency that Ashraf had filed in 1997 should have been granted. Ashraf argued that this new evidence supported his good-faith belief that he had a defense against his deportation. The district court disagreed. In addition to concluding that these documents were not newly discovered, the court determined that, even assuming that these documents were newly discovered, they would still not form the basis for a new trial because the evidence contained in them in no way assists the defendant in asserting any alleged good faith belief that he had a defense to deportation in this matter.... Ashraf was sentenced in August 2009 to 12 months' imprisonment on each of the two counts for which he was convicted, to be served concurrently, in addition to a 3-year term of supervised release and a $200 special assessment. The district court also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Ashraf would have to surrender to ICE for deportation.