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Will Pete Seda go free? By Mark Freeman Sep 16, 2007 12:00 AM A A EUGENE — A judge is set to rule Tuesday whether Pete Seda remains jailed for the next seven months while awaiting trial on conspiracy and tax-fraud charges stemming from activities at his defunct Ashland Islamic charity that the government has tied to terrorism. U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan will hold what amounts to Seda's fifth detention hearing Tuesday, when he decides whether to keep Seda in custody until his April 16 trial or free him on a series of conditions meant to ensure Seda does not flee. Seda's supporters hope Hogan agrees to a series of conditions that U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Coffin considered when ruling Monday that Seda should be released. Those conditions that Coffin considered include Seda wearing a Global Positioning System tracking device, court documents show. But Coffin's ruling was appealed to Hogan, who Tuesday ordered that Seda remain in the Lane County Jail at least until Tuesday's upcoming hearing in Eugene. Some of Seda's supporters believe federal prosecutors want Seda jailed to increase pressure toward a plea to the 2005 indictment charging him with money-laundering and tax fraud over his alleged role in smuggling $150,000 out of the U.S. "It seems to me the government would prefer more leverage to get Pete to cooperate by having him detained," said Paul Copeland, an Ashland activist and Seda supporter. "It's all kind of scary," Copeland said. "This is a matter of Pete being stuck in jail another six or eight months." Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Cardani declined comment Thursday. Larry Matasar, Seda's Portland-based attorney, did not return telephone calls seeking comment. In court, Cardani repeatedly has cast Seda as a flight risk whose discrepancies in ages on various passports and unclear information about his 41/2 years in the Middle East leave Seda a potentially nefarious defendant ready to go back on the lam. Seda left the United States in 2003 amid the federal investigation into his Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation chapter's activities that led to the 2005 indictment. For 21/2 years, Seda was an international fugitive hiding in countries like Iran and Syria where the United States has no extradition agreements. Hogan said he wants to know more about where he lived and how he financed his time abroad before deciding whether Seda should be released before his trial. Seda supporters, and even Coffin, have said Seda's Aug. 15 voluntary return to the United States to face the charges counter-balances fear of his potential flight risk. "I think it's a bunch of crap," said Glen Thatcher, a former Ashland businessman and former Seda friend who has attended the court proceedings. "What we need is to bring in a dead horse, charge a dollar for baseball bats and beat this thing all over the courthouse," said Thatcher, from Coos Bay. "It's almost pathetic." Through it all, Seda has sat in court appearing in high spirits, often flashing a thumbs-up to friends and family as he waddles, his ankles shackled, out of court. "He's doing as good as he can, considering his circumstances," said Jonah Smith, Seda's son, who has attended all the hearings. The unusual string of detention hearings and the government's rare appeal mark the latest wave of activities swirling around Seda, the defunct Al-Haramain chapter and its alleged ties to funding world-wide terror. The indictment charges that Seda helped his foundation partner, a Saudi Arabian national named Soliman Al-Buthi, smuggle $150,000 from Ashland to Saudi Arabia in 2000 to help Chechen Muslims the government has tied to international terrorism. The tax charge stems from Seda's alleged attempt to hide the smuggling by lying on the chapter's 2000 tax return. Al-Buthi who also faces conspiracy charges, is in Saudi Arabia, which has no extradition agreement with the United States. His attorney, Tom Nelson, has watched these proceedings closely. Al-Buthi and the Al-Haramain chapter have been designated by U.S. officials as supporters of international terrorism. Seda has not. Copeland added that he feared the government might threaten Seda with a similar terrorism designation to strong-arm a plea. "They're still holding that threat over him," Copeland said. Copeland said Thursday be believes prosecutors will file even more appeals should Hogan grant Seda's release Tuesday. "I think there's going to be several more chapters left," Copeland said. "This is classic legal gamesmanship." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected].