FAKE CHECKS SUSPECT INDICTED IN MICHIGAN WASHINGTON, JULY 24 (KUNA) -- THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTED ON WEDNESDAY THAT A JORDANIAN-BORN U.S. CITIZEN OF CHECHEN DESCENT HAD BEEN INDICTED BY A FEDERAL GRAND JURY IN MICHIGAN ON CHARGES OF TRYING TO SMUGGLE 12 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF COUNTERFEIT CASHIER'S CHECKS INTO THE UNITED STATES. OMAR SHISHANI, 47, WAS ARRESTED ON JULY 17 AT A DETROIT AIRPORT ON RETURN FROM INDONESIA AND WAS DUE TO BE ARRAIGNED IN FEDERAL COURT ON WEDNESDAY ON TWO CHARGES IN TUESDAY'S INDICTMENT, RELATED TO THE CHECKS. AT THE TIME OF HIS ARREST, SHISHANI WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN ON A WATCH LIST OF PEOPLE THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN TRAINED BY AL QAEDA IN ITS AFGHANISTAN CAMPS. U.S. OFFICIALS TOLD THE POST SHISHANI HAD REPEATEDLY TOLD U.S. CUSTOMS OFFICIALS AT THE AIRPORT THAT HE HAD NO MONETARY INSTRUMENTS TO DECLARE BEYOND 100 DOLLARS IN HIS WALLET. A SEARCH OF HIS LUGGAGE TURNED UP NINE COUNTERFEIT CHECKS, TWO OF THEM FOR FIVE MILLION DOLLARS EACH. U.S. LAW REQUIRES A DECLARATION OF 10,000 DOLLARS AND ABOVE BEING BROUGHT IN AT A PORT OF ENTRY. THE OFFICIALS SAID THE INDICTMENT CHARGED SHISHANI WITH POSSESSION OF COUNTERFEIT SECURITIES AND WITH SMUGGLING MERCHANDISE INTO THE UNITED STATES. IT SAID THREE OF THE CHECKS, FOR SIX MILLION DOLLARS, WERE BLANK. THE OTHER SIX CHECKS, FOR SIX MILLION DOLLARS, WERE MADE PAYABLE TO BAHARUDDIN MASSE. THE CASHIER'S CHECKS, WHICH CAN BE USED LIKE CASH, WERE DRAWN ON A CALIFORNIA BANK BUT NAMED A BRANCH THAT DOES NOT EXIST, LAW ENFORCEMENT SOURCES TOLD THE POST. PROSECUTORS SAID THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR THE FIRST COUNT IS 10 YEARS IN PRISON AND A 250,000 DOLLARS FINE. THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR THE SECOND COUNT IS FIVE YEARS IN PRISON AND A FINE OF 250,000 DOLLARS. (END) DM.TG KUNA 241802 Jul 02NNNN