Judge: U.S. wrong to freeze Ohio charity’s assets

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. government was wrong to freeze the assets of an Ohio-based charity accused of having ties to a militant Islamic group.

U.S. District Judge James Carr said Tuesday the government shouldn’t be allowed to close down an organization and freeze its assets without first getting a warrant.

Attorneys for Kindhearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development say the government refused to say why the charity was essentially shut down three years ago.

The Treasury Department in 2006 ordered U.S. banks to freeze the Toledo charity’s assets, saying it was funneling money to a terrorist organization.

KindHearts officials have denied being connected to any terrorist group.