Wife of Pakistani man in Maine held in Times Square bomb probe says he’s getting out on bail

Bail set for Maine man held in Times Square probe

PORTLAND, Maine — A Pakistani man held on an immigration violation in Maine while police were investigating the attempted Times Square car bombing will soon be free on bail, his wife said Friday.

Sara Rahman and her husband’s attorney have begun the process of arranging for bond for Mohammad Shafiq Rahman of South Portland, one of three Pakistani men in New England charged with immigration violations as authorities investigated the May 1 attempted car bombing.

An immigration judge set bail this week at $10,000. He’ll likely be released early in the week, after the holiday weekend, said Cynthia Arn, Rahman’s lawyer.

Arn said people can be reassured that Rahman has “no connection” to Faisal Shahzad, who pleaded guilty to 10 terrorism and weapons charges in the Times Square case.

“He’s not a threat. He was never a threat,” she said.

Rahman, a computer programmer, came to the United States legally in 1999, has no criminal record and got married in March. He 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, she said.

Authorities have said Rahman and two men arrested in Massachusetts may have given money Shahzad through an informal money transfer network but may not have known how the money would be used. But no criminal charges were brought against any of the three men.

With any terrorist connection debunked, Arn said she anticipates the matter will proceed as an ordinary immigration case. Rahman is accused of overstaying his visa.

For her part, Sara Rahman said Friday she’s looking forward to being reunited with her husband, but she said she understood that there could be delays.

“This has been so stressful on her family. She’s really been through the ringer,” Arn said. “It’s been terrible for her and her kids. They just want to get back together and re-establish their bond and get back to something resembling a life.”