SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – An Islamic religious leader and his son have agreed to be deported to Pakistan after being detained on immigration charges in connection with a federal investigation into possible terrorist activity.

Muhammed Adil Khan, 47, and his 19-year-old son, Mohammad Hassan Adil, admitted during a 10-minute hearing Friday that they overstayed their visas. In exchange, immigration authorities dropped allegations that the two lied to obtain the visas.

The men were among five people connected to the Lodi Muslim Mosque who were arrested last month as part of a federal terrorism probe. Lodi is a community of about 62,000 nearly 80 miles east of San Francisco with a large Muslim population.

At a hearing last month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyer Paul Nishiie said Khan once had close ties to Taliban officials. Nischiie declined comment Friday, but a lawyer for Khan and his son denied the allegation.

“If my clients were terrorists, or connected to terrorists, they would not be allowed to leave the country voluntarily,” Saad Ahmad said.

A second religious leader, Shabbir Ahmed, also is being held on an immigration complaint but intends to fight deportation. He is due in court Aug. 9.

Two other Lodi residents are the only ones facing criminal charges. Hamid Hayat, 22, was charged with two counts of lying to the FBI last month when he said he did not attend a terrorism camp in Pakistan in 2003 and 2004. His father, Umer Hayat, 47, was indicted on a count of lying to investigators by denying his son attended the camp.

Their jury trial is scheduled for Aug. 23.


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