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Muslim Spiritual Leader Busted

Mazen Mokhtar, a spiritual leader in New Jersey's Muslim community, was arrested today after a federal grand jury indicted him on tax fraud charges.

A five-count indictment charges the 38-year-old Egyptian-born American citizen with two counts of failing to file business tax returns for his computer consulting company, Mindcraft, Inc. and three counts of filing false personal tax returns.

Mokhtar's name previously surfaced in a broader investigation into a suspected terrorist network based in Britain. Three years ago, federal investigators in Connecticut said a Web site administered by a New Jersey resident was used in a conspiracy to solicit funds and recruit fighters for the Taliban and the Chechen mujahadeen. At the time, Mokhtar acknowledged that he was the suspect in question, but denied the charges.

Mokhtar, a resident of North Brunswick, was released on a $100,000 secured bond.

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