Times Square (AP file)
A Pakistani man from Maine was released from jail Thursday, officials said, 15 weeks after he was arrested on an immigration violation while police were investigating the attempted Times Square car bombing.
Mohammad Shafiq Rahman was released from federal custody in Boston after posting $10,000 bail, according to Ross Feinstein of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Rahman, 33, a computer programmer from South Portland, and two men from Watertown, Mass., Pir Khan and Aftab Khan, were arrested on immigration violations on May 13 as investigators probed the May 1 attempted car bombing.
None of the three has been charged in connection with the Times Square case in which former Connecticut resident pleaded guilty to terrorism and weapons charges.
Rahman and his wife, Sara, were not immediately available for comment. His attorney, Cynthia Arn, said this week that her client’s case is now an immigration matter. Rahman came to the U.S. in 1999 but overstayed his visa.
He is now seeking to remain in the country based on his marriage. He and his wife married in March after dating for two years.
When officials arrested Rahman and the other two Pakistani men, they said the men might have handled informal money transfers for Shahzad without knowing how the money would be used. Arn has said Rahman knew Shahzad when he lived in Connecticut a decade ago because they were both part of the local Pakistani community, but they haven’t spoken in years.
Rahman’s family was prepared to post bond after an immigration judge set bail on June 30. But ICE later revoked bail, saying it had been deemed appropriate that Rahman remain in custody.
Since then, Rahman has been perplexed on why he was still in custody, Arn said.
Barry Hoffman, Pakistan’s consul general in Boston, said he was pleased to hear of Rahman’s release.
“The Pakistani government doesn’t get involved in the U.S. judicial process, but we were alarmed when he was being held in solitary confinement and held in chains,” Hoffman said. “Apparently it now a routine immigration case and they were unable to connect him with the vicious Times Square bomber.”
Rahman’s next immigration court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 14 in Boston.
