Man Pleads Not Guilty in Immigration Fraud Case

A 28-year-old Yemeni national detained after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks pleaded not guilty in federal court to five counts of immigration and Social Security fraud.

Omar Bakarbashat, 28, is being held without bail. Each charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.

Bakarbashat had phony green cards and altered Social Security cards, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Michael Wheat. He came to the attention of federal authorities because he rented a room from a local Muslim leader, who also allowed two of the Sept. 11 hijackers, Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid Almihdhar, to live in his home.