Syrian National Pleads Guilty to Federal Stalking Offense

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALAA HASAN QALB ALLOUZ, 34, a citizen of Syria last residing in New Haven, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of stalking in violation of a protective order.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2016, Allouz, his wife and their children emigrated from Syria and settled in New Haven.  In April 2017, Allouz’s wife filed a petition for dissolution of marriage, after incidents of domestic violence and Allouz’s state arrests for risk of injury, assault, breach of peace, and violation of a protective order offenses.  In July 2017, Allouz’s wife obtained a Standing Criminal Protective Order ordering Allouz not to contact his wife.  In August 2017, after Allouz threatened his wife, Allouz’s wife withdrew her petition for dissolution of marriage.

On February 2, 2018, Allouz was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a federal arrest warrant and order of deportation, and he was transferred from a Connecticut state prison to a detention center in Massachusetts.  While he was detained in ICE custody, Allouz made multiple phone calls to his wife during which he repeatedly harassed, threatened and intimidated her.  He also made calls to other individuals during which he threatened to harm his wife and her family members. Allouz also threatened his wife and her family members in letters and e-mails.

Allouz has been detained, first in state and then federal custody, since January 10, 2017.  On February 5, 2019, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging him with the offense.

Allouz is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer on August 20, 2019, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year and a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.