By Jean Cole
jean@athensnews-courier.com
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Law-enforcement officials in Alabama are looking for Hammad Memon, the 17-year-old accused in the fatal shooting of a Madison Middle School student in 2010.
Memon, who was free on a $75,000 bail pending his trial, may have obtained a passport this week from Pakistan and may be trying to flee the country, court records show.
Memon’s bond was revoked Friday morning in Madison County Circuit Court after officials learned he might have received a passport Wednesday.
According to court documents, Express Mail delivered a package from the Embassy of Pakistan to Memon Wednesday in care of his mother, Safia Memon. The package appeared to contain a passport, according to the Express Mail carrier, who said Memon signed for the package, court records show.
Under the rules of Memon’s release on bail, he had to surrender his passport, refrain from obtaining a new one and agree to remain in the U.S.
In seeking to revoke Memon’s bond Friday morning, Madison County Assistant District Attorney Tim Gann told a judge Memon has dual citizenship with the United States and Pakistan and “there would be no way for local authorities to be notified if he obtained a passport,” according to the court record.
Gann described Memon as “an extreme flight risk because he is facing a possible life sentence and is a citizen of Pakistan.” He also describes the teen as “a danger to the public based upon the serious nature of the crime that he is charged with.”
The judge agreed to revoke the bond.
About an hour later, around noon, emergency dispatcher issued a be-on-the-lookout alert, or BOLO, to law-enforcement officers to search for Memon, particularly at the Atlanta Airport and all highways between Madison, Birmingham and Atlanta.
The alert indicated Memon might be riding or driving in a 2005 beige Toyota Sienna LE van, displaying license number 47G17D2, and may be with his mother. Memon stands 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. He and his mother are of Pakistani descent.
