Former North Carolina resident indicted for international parental kidnapping

A former North Carolina resident was indicted on three counts of international parental kidnapping.

Saed Hamed, 42, formerly of Fayetteville. N.C., has retained three children in the State of Palestine with the intent of obstructing the parental rights of his wife, the mother of the children, according to the indictment.

Saed and Sabah Hamed, of Uniontown, separated in 2012. The Hameds agreed Saed Hamed would have the children in the State of Palestine during the summer of 2016 but the children would be returned to the U.S. in September 2016; however, Saed Hamed refused to return the children to their mother and the children remain in the State of Palestine, according to court documents.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than maximum.

This cases is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry F. DeBaggis following an investigation by the FBI.

An indictment is only a charge. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.