Al-Bayoumi came to the FBI’s attention in 1998 when his apartment manager reported him receiving packages from the Middle East containing exposed wiring and hosting large gatherings of Middle Eastern men at his residence.
[13] In June 1998, an anonymous Saudi philanthropist donated $500,000 to have a
Kurdish mosque built in San Diego, on the condition that al-Bayoumi be hired as maintenance manager, with a private office, phone and computer. The donation was accepted, but because al-Bayoumi rarely showed up for work, the mosque's leadership became unhappy with him.[
citation needed] Eventually, they fired him.[
citation needed]