By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – The man wanted on federal charges of allegedly misusing a United Nation's grant is expected to return to Buffalo Thursday.
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Steve Jabar -- also known as Steve Shariff is one of two Western New Yorkers accused of misusing a grant from UNIFEM to establish a women's radio station in Iraq a few years ago. Last month, Deborah Bowers of Clarence was arraigned on a 14-count indictment. Bowers was assisting Jabar through a non-profit organization called Opportunities for Kids International.
Jabar has been in Iraq and a warrant was issued for his arrest. But Jabar phoned me Wednesday afternoon saying he had arrived in Toronto and was planning to turn himself in this morning at the Peace Bridge.
Jabar would not provided an interview, but claims he is innocent of the charges. He is an Iraqi American, but raised his family in Western New York and currently has a Tonanwanda address. Jabar has appeared in repeated interviews on WBFO. In early 2008 after the death of Saddam Hussen, he returned to out studios. It was in that interview that he revealed he was working with the US Department of Defense.
Jabar was the former leader of the Iraqi House in Buffalo. The indictment accuses Jabar and Bowers of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements in connection with a scheme to defraud the UN fund. But Jabar says he is coming back to Buffalo to prove that he and Bowers did not misuse the funds.