Metro Detroit men who sent millions to Yemen spared prison

Judge says "only people without compassion" would object

DETROIT – A group of Detroit-area men opened bank accounts to move millions of dollars to Yemen, their war-torn native country.

They didn't register as a money transfer business, but they were fortunate to have a kind judge. Federal Judge Avern Cohn has declined to send them to prison, despite guidelines that call for a few years or more behind bars.

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The judge says Yemen's financial system is a mess and residents there desperately need help. Cohn says "only people without compassion" would object.


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