Murder suspect Hasan’s extradition hearing set for Sept. 11 in Texas

Lawyer sure he’ll face charge over Kitchener death

WATERLOO REGION — Murder suspect Ager Mohsin Hasan’s extradition hearing is set for Sept. 11 in Texas, and getting him to Canada might take a while but he will come home to face murder charges.

That’s the prediction of a Toronto criminal lawyer who has worked on extradition cases.

“He’s coming home to face those charges, 100 per cent, especially on those charges and with a strong treaty partner,” said Jordan Donich in an interview Friday.

Donich said the extradition process can be long and complicated with authorities from both countries working together, but the United States is Canada’s strongest and closest ally and the countries have good working relationships.

“There will be a process where our authorities will pass information as a basis for the hearing,” he said.

“It will go ahead with our closest ally.”

Plus, Hasan has proven he is a “flight risk. He’s sophisticated. He was able to get to the States,” Donich said.

“This is a guy who evaded the authorities, who somehow crossed the border and has gone undetected,” he said.

Hasan, 24, of Hamilton, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Melinda Vasilije.

Vasilije, 23, was found dead of multiple stab wounds in her Kitchener apartment on April 28. Hasan took off to the United States after her death.

Hasan was arrested on Tuesday by the U.S. Secret Service in San Antonio.

The Secret Service was conducting an investigation into counterfeit currency and received a call from an anonymous source who said Hasan was allegedly placing orders for counterfeit cash via the Dark Web.

The source provided the suspect’s description, first name, address and vehicle information, said a media release from the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security.

Special agents went to the suspect’s address to conduct surveillance and spotted the 2016 black Honda HRV.

The Secret Service asked the local San Antonio police to conduct a traffic stop. A person matching the description of Hasan was in the passenger seat. The

vehicle was driven by another man.

After a search of the vehicle, which had stolen plates from Arkansas and the residence where Hasan was staying, police found $600 in counterfeit $20 bills, the Secret Service said.

Hasan was taken to a federal detention centre. No U.S. federal counterfeit charges were laid against Hasan.

Donich said Hasan could eventually face charges in Canada and the United States, but likely the murder charges will supersede other charges.

“So technically he could be tried on those charges in the States, but the fact that there is a warrant for his arrest on more serious charges with life in prison, it would be redundant for the States to proceed,” he said.

Hasan reportedly crossed into the United States soon after Vasilije’ death, and was spotted at least twice — once in Pennsylvania in the parking lot of a Walmart where a man was seen stealing licence plates from another vehicle, and then in Tennessee at a truck stop on May 20.

Waterloo Regional Police have said they believed Hasan was on his way to the Mexican border.

Insp. Mike Haffner said this week that local investigators were in contact with Hasan via email and repeatedly told him to turn himself in to police.

Since entering the U.S., it is believed Hasan posted social media messages on Instagram. On Monday, an Instagram posting from a person claiming to be Hasan said he would turn himself in.

The post, accompanied by a photo, said: “I’m coming home. It’s time to end the dark path I’ve been travelling and give people the closure they deserve.”

In May, a post on Reddit by someone claiming to be Hasan alleged that Hasan stabbed Vasilije in self-defence. It went into details about what allegedly hap- pened the night Vasilije died. That message was removed shortly after it was posted.