Computer firm owner arrested Steve McGonigle Dallas Morning News Friday, February 08, 2002 The owner of a Richardson computer company was arrested Thursday after a federal grand jury indicted him on felony charges of violating a government order suspending his export license. Ihsan "Sammy" Elashyi, 41, is accused of making 12 shipments of computer goods to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan after the Commerce Department barred him in mid-September from further international sales. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment and a $ 250,000 fine. Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Jeff Kaplan, Mr. Elashyi denied wrongdoing. The judge ordered him held until a detention hearing Friday. Mr. Elashyi is the principal owner of Tetrabal Corp., a computer sales company he founded in 2000. He is described by the Commerce Department as a representative of InfoCom Corp., a Richardson Internet services company operated by three of his brothers. InfoCom was the target of a three-day search by a federal terrorism task force in early September. The reason for the search has not been disclosed, but an asset-freezing order served on the company cited a $ 250,000 investment by the wife of a political leader of the terrorist group Hamas. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Export Administration issued an order temporarily suspending export privileges of InfoCom and Tetrabal for allegedly shipping equipment to Libya and Syria without authorization. Mr. Elashyi's brothers have denied any wrongdoing. None has been accused of any crime. Mr. Elashyi's indictment is the first criminal action stemming from a two-year investigation by the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, an InfoCom client co-founded and directed by one of Mr. Elashyi's brothers, closed in December after the Treasury Department accused the self-described charity of being a Hamas front and seized its assets. Staff writer Todd Bensman contributed to this report.