Jury gets the case of Rami Saba

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - After nearly four years of investigation, motions, and finally a weeks-long trial, the case of Rami Saba is now in the hands of the seven women and five men of the jury.

Without calling any witnesses, Saba -- who is representing himself on charges of fraud, kidnapping and conspiracy -- rested his case in US Federal Court in Grand Rapids.

Saba and Raogo Ouedraogo were charged in the September 2007 disappearance of Donald Dietz, known in the Saranac area as The Bicycle Man. Ouedraogo was convicted March 30 of kidnapping resulting in death and conspiracy to kidnap.

Originally charged in the presumed murder of Dietz, two major charges against Saba were dismissed by Judge Janet Neff on May 31. She ruled that prosecutors failed to prove the murder charges to the level needed for the jury to review them.

In his closing argument Tuesday, a federal prosecutor painted Saba, 38, as a financially desperate man who found "the perfect mark" in Dietz, 66 at the time of his disappearance.

Prosecutors are now working to convict Saba. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Green laid out evidence Tuesday alleging Saba had $450,000 worth of motive to kidnap Dietz to take his money.

The prosecutor tried to convey to the jury the importance of circumstantial evidence, saying records and documents don't lie.

Those records show an intense number of phone calls between Saba and Ouedraogo, ramping up the month Dietz disappeared.

Cell phone records show Saba was near Dietz's home around the time of the disappearance.

And purchasing records show Saba bought pepper spray and a Taser around that time.

Giving his own closing argument, Saba repeatedly said the facts are on his side, telling the jury the only things the prosecution has are "imagination, emotion and assumption."

The defendant argued key evidence was contaminated or missing and said there was DNA found on Dietz's bike that did not match Saba. He said investigators do not know who it does match.

He could face up to life in prison if convicted of conspiracy to kidnap. He's also charged with attempted bank fraud, bank fraud conspiracy and kidnapping.

The jury will continue deliberations on Wednesday.