A Tampa father has been arrested for international parental kidnapping in a case ABC Action News has been following since 2018.
Ali Hussein Salamey, 37, is accused of fraudulently obtaining Lebanese citizenship and a passport for his then three-year-old son without the child's mother's knowledge or consent, and in violation of a family court order.
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Salamey reportedly provided the Lebanese consulate with a fraudulent family court document that had been altered by Salamey to show Salamey had sole parental responsibility and custody of the child.
On August 27, 2018, Salamey and the child traveled to Lebanon in violation of a shared custody order. He then reportedly denied the mother access to her child.
Salamey agreed on June 20, 2019 to return to the U.S. with the child as a result of coordination between the FBI, U.S. diplomatic staff in Lebanon and the Lebanese government.
Salamey was arrested by the FBI in Atlanta and the child was reunited with his mother.
If convicted, Salamey faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison
