Shamsud-din Ali begins prison term

Shamsud-din Ali, 69, the former leader of a West Philadelphia mosque convicted in 2005 of fraud and racketeering charges in the City Hall corruption scandal, reported to federal authorities Monday to begin serving his 71/4-year prison term.

Ali, whose appeal was rejected last month by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, reported as ordered to the U.S. Courthouse in Center City. He was taken to the Federal Detention Center across from the courthouse.

Ali, of Melrose Park, was convicted of charges involving several money-making extortion schemes and influence-peddling involving high-ranking city officials. Prosecutors argued that Ali used the Sister Clara Muhammad School, operated by Ali and his wife, Faridah Ali, his mosque, and a business they controlled to make tens of thousands of dollars in illegal income.

Faridah Ali, 58, was released yesterday from a federal prison in Danbury, Conn., to a Philadelphia halfway house to complete the last six months of her 24-month federal prison term for her no-contest plea to cheating Philadelphia Community College out of thousands of dollars.