DEARBORN — A group of Arab Americans has planned a June 5 event to show support for indicted attorney Tim Attalla.

Tim Attalla

The 49-year-old Miller-Canfield lawyer from Northville was recently accused of charges linked to a federal probe of the Michigan motorcycle gang the Highwaymen.

Donations will be collected for use towards Attalla’s legal defense costs during the event at La Pita restaurant, 22681 Newman Street in west Dearborn.

Attalla pleaded not guilty on May 15 in U.S. District Court to drug conspiracy charges that accused him of assisting defendant Aref Nagi of Sterling Heights by “advising arrested individuals to keep silent regarding Nagi’s involvement in the drug conspiracy, by supplying Nagi with a variety of different pills, and by acting as general counsel for the enterprise.”

Thomas Cranmer, Attalla’s attorney, said after Attalla’s arraignment that Attalla is “a highly respected community leader” and called the allegations “absolutely untrue.”

Osama Siblani, spokesman for the Congress of Arab American Organizations and publisher of The Arab American News, said “we should not rush to judgment as Detroit Mayor Dave Bing did.”

The day the indictment was unsealed, Bing, who had named Attalla to the legal section of his turnaround team, immediately said Attalla would resign, saying he was “surprised and disappointed” at the news.

“He has no input into the Transition Turnaround Team, to date,” Bing said in a statement.

“You can indict a bologna sandwich, but go ahead and prove it in court,” Siblani said. “At the end of the day, justice will prevail.

“Even if you disagree with Tim Attalla on certain issues, you cannot deny the fact that he is an influential community member and we are standing behind him through this process.”

Imad Hamad, regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Michigan, said Attalla should be considered innocent until proven guilty.

“Indictments are not convictions, and people should not rush to judgment,” Hamad said. “He’s a highly regarded community member — well respected.”

Attalla has been active in groups that work to build bridges between Palestinians and Israelis, such as Seeds for Peace.

He was awarded for his efforts in 2008 by a primarily Jewish group that supports Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.

For more information on the event in support of Attalla, contact Ali Charara at 313.289.2222 or ali.charara@century 21.com or Suehaila Amen at 313.615.1515 or suehailaamen@yahoo.com.