Goose Creek, SC. College Student To Plead Guilty To Terror Support Charge

Back in August of 2007, two college students were arrested in Goose Creek South Carolina, after being stopped by police who found PVC pipes containing a mixture of potassium nitrate, kitty litter and sugar, in the car's trunk.

Originally their defense was that these devices were nothing more than some homemade fireworks, and on the day of their arrest there was no specific detail linking this to terrorism, even though they were stopped approximately 7 miles from the Naval Weapons Station which contains the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig, where previously enemy combatants had been held.

That soon changed.

It was later discovered that one of those college students, Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed, had produced a 12 minute YouTube video, showing how to turn little remote-controlled toys into detonators for bombs.

At the time of the arrest, the executive director of the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Ahmed Bedier, made a statement saying that these were just fireworks and claimed, "Both of them are really naïve kids".

According to Linda Moreno, who is Mohamed's attorney, a plea deal has been reached and will be entered into a Tampa federal court next week.

This plea agreement (12 page PDF file) shows that Mohamed will plead guilty to providing material support to terrorists and the penalty for that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and supervised release of not more than three years.

There were two elements to count one, listed above and those were:

One: Within the United States, the defendant provided material support and resources;

Two: The defendant did so knowing or intending that such support was to be used in preparation for or in carrying out the killing of (1) an officer or employee of the United States or of any agency in any branch of the United States Government (including any member of the uniformed services), while such officer or employee was engaged in or on account of the performance of his or her official duties or (2) any person assisting such an officer or employee in the performance of such duties or on account of that assistance.

Counts two through seven of the indictment (7 page PDF file) will be dismissed by his agreement to plead guilty to this count of supporting terror.

Those counts, from the indictment were:

One: Proving material support to terrorism

Two: Distributing information which teaches and demonstrates the making or use of explosives

Three: Transporting explosive materials in interstate commerce without the requisite federal license

Four: Possession of a destructive device without the proper registration

Five and six: Illegal possession of a firearm by a non-immigrant alien

Seven: Carrying a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence

The other former University of South Florida student, Youssef Samir Megahed, is charged with illegally transporting explosives and possession of a destructive device. Mohamed faced those charges plus terrorism related counts stemming from the how-to video.

Megahed's trial was due to start in May but the trial was delayed after prosecutors appealed the judge's ruling to exclude evidence. It is not clear when that trial will begin and the judge released Megahed on $200,000 bail.


Previous Wake up America pieces on these two from Goose Creek, found here.

Malkin has been keeping a much closer eye on events as they have transpired and here is everything pertaining to this case on one page.

.

Remember the 2 in Goose Creek, SC arrested with explosives?

This is an update on the two men that were arrested in Goose Creek, SC, for unlawful possession of explosives, back in early August.

Original post: August 5, 2007

Two men are being detained in Goose Creek, S.C. for being in possession of explosive devices. Goose Creek, S.C., according to U.S. Today is the home of the Naval Weapons Station which houses a military brig where enemy combatants have been held.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (AP) — Two men were detained after police found a suspicious item in their car during a routine traffic stop for speeding near Charleston, authorities said Sunday.

Berkeley County sheriff's Lt. Vince Lombard said the men were being held pending a charge of unlawful possession of an explosive device.

Lombard would not say what the device was or what it was that bomb technicians from neighboring Charleston County exploded at about 2:45 a.m. Sunday.

(A bomb squad technician examines items removed from a four door sedan on Highway 176 in Goose Creek early Sunday morning. The FBI is on the scene investigating the suspicious car that was stopped by police Saturday night. A robot, center, removed several items including a backpack, a large gas can, and a red box from the car. The technician crawled on his stomach for a cautious up-close look at several items.)


Jules Crittenden points out two of those enemy combatants that have, in the past, been held at the Naval Weapons Station Military Brig are Jose Padilla and Yaser Hamdi.

WLTX tells us that the two men being detained are of middle eastern decent.

Goose Creek - Police have detained two men after finding and detonating a suspicious item found in their car during a routine stop for a speeding violation on a highway near Charleston.

Sources say a four-door sedan was stopped during a routine traffic stop Saturday only to find what was believed to be a bomb inside the vehicle.

The two people in the car were said to be of Middle Eastern decent.

All these news accounts say these two men were detained after a "routine traffic stop", but, according to Lt. Vince Lombardo, it was a traffic stop AND that information obtained from and investigation in another jurisdiction raised suspicions of the deputies.

According to Lt. Vince Lombardo, deputies discovered the suspicious items in the trunk during a traffic stop. Deputies stopped two men in a four-door sedan for speeding. The car had Florida tags. The two men inside the vehicle are detained at the scene. Lombardo also said information from an investigation in another jurisdiction raised the suspicions of the deputies.

What are we missing here? Either it was a routine traffic stop because they were speeding, or the police were alerted TO BE LOOKING for something suspicious there because of previous information, or a tip.

Is it a coincidence that these men were detained with explosive devices, so close the the Naval Weapons Stations? -- Could very well be.

Was it a coincidence that al-Qaeda tapes have been warning us of a "summer surprise"?-- Again, could very well be.

Was it a coincidence that a newly released video has come out with "dire warnings?--- Could be.

None of us can answer that with any confidence right now, but it serves to remind us that our authorities as well as our citizens must be vigilant and alert and keep our eyes open.

As more details are reported regarding this, I will update this post or link to a new one.

You can check out the buzzzz in the blogosphere for yourself as the day goes on.

Now for the update on this story:

From Charlotte Observer:

In a 12-minute video posted on YouTube, an Egyptian man wearing a white shirt, khaki pants and rubber gloves explains in Arabic how to turn a toy boat into a bomb.

His name is Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed, and last month he was arrested in Goose Creek after authorities found four PVC pipes containing a mixture of potassium nitrate, kitty litter and sugar in his car’s trunk.

Mohamed told FBI agents he made the video to teach “those persons in Arabic countries to defend themselves against the infidels invading their countries,” according to federal court documents released late Tuesday.

Specifically, he told the FBI “the technology which he demonstrated in the tape was to be used against those who fought for the United States.”

What started as a traffic stop for speeding in South Carolina has led to a two-count federal indictment on terrorism-related charges and a multistate mystery investigators still are working to unravel.

Remember when this first came out, defenders kept insisting these two simply had some innocent fireworks?

Innocent my rear.

Two arrested In S.C. for Unlawful Possession of Explosives

[Major Update found here] 9/27/07

Two men are being detained in Goose Creek, S.C. for being in possession of explosive devices. Goose Creek, S.C., according to U.S. Today is the home of the Naval Weapons Station which houses a military brig where enemy combatants have been held.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (AP) — Two men were detained after police found a suspicious item in their car during a routine traffic stop for speeding near Charleston, authorities said Sunday.

Berkeley County sheriff's Lt. Vince Lombard said the men were being held pending a charge of unlawful possession of an explosive device.

Lombard would not say what the device was or what it was that bomb technicians from neighboring Charleston County exploded at about 2:45 a.m. Sunday.

(A bomb squad technician examines items removed from a four door sedan on Highway 176 in Goose Creek early Sunday morning. The FBI is on the scene investigating the suspicious car that was stopped by police Saturday night. A robot, center, removed several items including a backpack, a large gas can, and a red box from the car. The technician crawled on his stomach for a cautious up-close look at several items.)


Jules Crittenden points out two of those enemy combatants that have, in the past, been held at the Naval Weapons Station Military Brig are Jose Padilla and Yaser Hamdi.

WLTX tells us that the two men being detained are of middle eastern decent.

Goose Creek - Police have detained two men after finding and detonating a suspicious item found in their car during a routine stop for a speeding violation on a highway near Charleston.

Sources say a four-door sedan was stopped during a routine traffic stop Saturday only to find what was believed to be a bomb inside the vehicle.

The two people in the car were said to be of Middle Eastern decent.

All these news accounts say these two men were detained after a "routine traffic stop", but, according to Lt. Vince Lombardo, it was a traffic stop AND that information obtained from and investigation in another jurisdiction raised suspicions of the deputies.

According to Lt. Vince Lombardo, deputies discovered the suspicious items in the trunk during a traffic stop. Deputies stopped two men in a four-door sedan for speeding. The car had Florida tags. The two men inside the vehicle are detained at the scene. Lombardo also said information from an investigation in another jurisdiction raised the suspicions of the deputies.

What are we missing here? Either it was a routine traffic stop because they were speeding, or the police were alerted TO BE LOOKING for something suspicious there because of previous information, or a tip.

Is it a coincidence that these men were detained with explosive devices, so close the the Naval Weapons Stations? -- Could very well be.

Was it a coincidence that al-Qaeda tapes have been warning us of a "summer surprise"?-- Again, could very well be.

Was it a coincidence that a newly released video has come out with "dire warnings?--- Could be.

None of us can answer that with any confidence right now, but it serves to remind us that our authorities as well as our citizens must be vigilant and alert and keep our eyes open.

As more details are reported regarding this, I will update this post or link to a new one.

You can check out the buzzzz in the blogosphere for yourself as the day goes on.




.