Man with terrorist link strikes a deal with U.S.

A relative of a man under investigation for alleged ties to al-Qaida in Iraq has struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Alaa "Alex" Ramadan, 29, pleaded guilty Thursday in four separate grand jury indictments to charges of bank, wire, credit card, mortgage and loan fraud, money laundering and fraudulent use of a Social Security number. The U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah said in a statement Thursday that some of the schemes Ramadan pleaded to involved homes and cars, generating thousands of dollars.

Ramadan is the nephew of Sharif Omar, 37, who is also charged in a fraud case. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating whether Omar funneled money to banks in Jordan and if it found its way into terrorist hands.

Omar is the brother of Shawqi Omar, who is in military custody on suspicion of terrorism and accused of ties to al-Qaida in Iraq.

He will be sentenced on Jan. 4.