U.S. attorney says Hasan should not be granted bail
KITCHENER — Murder suspect Ager Hasan should remain in custody during the extradition hearing process and shouldn’t be granted bail, says an assistant United States attorney.
Hasan’s lawyers put forward a motion for bail in court last Friday, just days before the extradition hearing which begins Tuesday.
Assistant United States Attorney Priscilla Garcia said her priority is the extradition hearing and showing probable cause in the case to have Hasan extradited. It then goes to the secretary of state for approval.
“It can take honestly a month to three months,” she said on Monday.
Garcia said the U.S. government’s position is that Hasan remain in custody because he is considered a flight risk.
Hasan could be connected to other crimes in connection to his arrest on July 11, Garcia said.
Hasan has been in custody in Texas since his arrest. He took off to the United States and was on the run for more than two months.
Hasan, 24, of Hamilton is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Melinda Vasilije.
The 22-year-old woman was found dead of multiple stab wounds in her Kitchener apartment on April 28.
Hasan was arrested by the U.S. Secret Service after they were conducting an investigation into counterfeit currency. They received an anonymous call from someone who alleged he was placing orders for counterfeit cash via the Dark Web.
Documents filed with the United States District Court in San Antonio show Hasan would have turned him in to police if he could have reached a plea deal first.
The documents also showed that Hasan was having trouble accepting that his relationship with Vasilije had ended, and had assaulted her a few weeks prior to her death. The pair dated for about a year.
At the time of Vasilije’s death, Hasan was under court orders to stay out of Waterloo Region and to not have any contact with Vasilije. Documents show Hasan repeatedly breached those conditions by texting Vasilije.