Michelle Malkin » Breaking: Goose Creek indictments

Breaking: Goose Creek indictments

By Michelle Malkin • August 31, 2007 01:17 PM

Update: The pdf of the three-page indictment is here. (Hat tip – Lawhawk). And Dan Riehl, who has followed the story closely, has a reminder about an “as yet un-identified individual said to have returned to Canada right after the initial arrest.”

Reax from the USAO in SC:

In South Carolina, where Mohamed and Megahed have been held in the Berkeley County jail, U.S. Attorney Reginald I. Lloyd praised state and federal authorities for cooperating in the four-week investigation that initially did not look like a terrorism case. “The arresting deputy’s vigilance and the immediate response of our local investigators and prosecutors are highly commendable,” Lloyd said in a statement. Since the Aug. 4 arrest, authorities sought to determine whether Mohamed and Megahed were fledgling terrorists or merely college students headed to the beach with devices made from fireworks they bought at Wal-Mart in their car, as they claimed. The local sheriff in South Carolina said the explosives were “other than fireworks.” The charges follow several searches in Tampa, including of a storage facility and a park where the explosives might have been tested, authorities said.

And here’s the FBI’s full statement:

Two University of South Florida (USF) students have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Tampa, Florida, for transporting explosives materials without permits, the Department of Justice announced today.

The two-count indictment unsealed today charges Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed and Youssef Samir Megahed, both Egyptian nationals, with transporting explosives in interstate commerce without permits. The indictment alleges that the two men, “not being licensees” under federal law, “did knowingly transport and cause to be transported in interstate commerce explosive materials” on or about Aug. 4, 2007 in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere.

Mohamed was also charged with distributing information about building and using an explosive device. The indictment alleges that Mohamed taught and demonstrated the making and use of an explosive and destructive device, with the intent that such information be used for, and in the furtherance of, an activity that constitutes a federal crime of violence.

Mohamed, a civil engineering graduate student and teaching assistant at USF, and Megahed, an engineering student, were stopped for speeding and subsequently arrested on Aug. 4, 2007 in Goose Creek, S.C. by a South Carolina Berkeley County Sheriff’s deputy. Both Mohamed and Megahed were charged with possession of an explosive device, in violation of South Carolina law. Bond was set for Mohamed in the amount of $500,000 and for Megahead in the amount of $300,000. Both men are currently being held in Berkeley County jail.

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charge of distributing information about explosive devices carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and the charge of transporting explosive materials carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Reginald I. Lloyd, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department and the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office in South Carolina. “I am very grateful for the hard work and professionalism of our local law enforcement partners in this important investigation. The arresting deputy’s vigilance and the immediate response of our local investigators and prosecutors are highly commendable.”

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with the assistance of the National Security Division at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Joint Terrorism Task Forces in both Tampa and South Carolina, with the assistance of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.

***

Just yesterday, I told you about federal grand jury investigating the Goose Creek case asking for DNA and hair samples from one of the suspects. Now, the mystery unclouds further. Via AP breaking news: (Hat tip-reader William A.)

Two University of South Florida men indicted on charges of carrying explosives across state lines; one indicted on terror charges.

Stand by for more…

Bit more detail:

Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed, 24, an engineering graduate student and teaching assistant at the Tampa-based university, faces terrorism charges for teaching and demonstrating how to use the explosives.

He and Youssef Samir Megahed, 21, an engineering student, were stopped for speeding in Goose Creek, S.C., on Aug. 4, where they have been held on state charges.

***
Background:

Aug. 30: Mystery at Goose Creek update: Federal grand jury investigates
Aug. 12: Mystery at Goose Creek: Who are the accused Pipe Bomb Boys? Update: Yahia Megahed’s Hi5 profile is gone
Aug. 5: Saturday night bomb scare Update: Map added Update: Sunday developments Update: Monday follow-up…charges filed

Rusty at The Jawa Report mused about the other possible terror plot yesterday.

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Posted in: Goose Creek,Jihadists

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Comments

#1

On August 31st, 2007 at 1:26 pm, Lindsay said:

No wonder CAIR’s representative did not know what to tell the press!

Thanks, Michelle!
#2

On August 31st, 2007 at 1:41 pm, DesertLover said:

good for that Grand Jury … about time the

Caliphate
Assisting
Islamic
Radicals

organization got a taste of how the American justice system is actually supposed to work.

Give them a one-way ticket to Gitmo and let them join their brethren there.
#3

On August 31st, 2007 at 1:47 pm, nfbailey said:

Does anyone else besides me think CAIR and other Muslim organizations like it should be asked to close their doors and go home?

Visas and the ability to overstay them seems to be one of our weakest spots, am I wrong? These people just “disappear into the populace” just like Hillary’s crooked donors. Yikes!
#4

On August 31st, 2007 at 1:59 pm, Jaded said:

Wait a minute didn’t the FBI a week ago tell us to not pass judgement on these boys. Perhaps they should have passed judgement sooner on this and other “not acts of terroris”.
#5

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:02 pm, Sergeant Tim said:

Back on August 6, 2006, CAIR, Ahmed Bedier, said, “Had these been two good ol’ boys from South Carolina driving through and speeding — and even if they did have some fireworks — nobody would have been arrested.”

Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed and Youssef Samir Megahed are good ol’ boys, modern day Dukes of Hazardous materials.

I said back then to picture this:

Mr. Bedier is walking and about to enter a mosque in Tampa, Florida. He walks past a car parked in front of it, from front to back, with its trunk open. Inside the car are two 20-something year old white males who appear nervous and one of them quickly stuffs something under the seat. As Bedier passes, he looks back, sees the car has South Carolina license plates, and spots several short lengths of PVC pipe, like you’d use for plumbing, and each is packed with some unidentifiable substance instead of being empty as one would expect. One of those PVC pipes has what looks like a fuse sticking out of that substance.

Ahmed Bedier would have called the police and CAIR would have gone coastal (in the media) had the police given the two a parking ticket, let them drive away, and then explained to Bedier that “they were just fireworks.”
#6

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:04 pm, Sergeant Tim said:

ref # 5 above, make that on Aug 6, 2007, I said…
#7

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:05 pm, ajmontana said:

I’m guessin none of us are surprised by this news. Lets see how fast CAIR bails on these guys. Also this University needs some serious cleaning up,two were caught now get the rest.
#8

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:11 pm, mojojojo said:

one indicted on terror charges.

Woah, I thought the FBI, et.al. said this “had nothing to do with terrorism.” So, were they previously lying or just idiotic?
#9

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:13 pm, DesertLover said:

Sergeant Tim said:

modern day Dukes of Hazardous materials

LMAO Sarge … good one …

Now … just where is the MSM on this … oh yeah … they were only fireworks … or was that model rocket components … or was that model rocket fuel? … oh … and they were just going to the beach in North Carolina … nothing here to report … just move along … no terrorism here …

Riiiiight

give me a freakin’ break …

Grrrrrrr
#10

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:14 pm, Speakup said:

Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed, 24, an engineering graduate student and teaching assistant at the Tampa-based university

Youssef Samir Megahed, 21, an engineering student

I’m sure glad we’re not suffering terrorist attacks from high achieving, educated people immersed in an aggressive/violent ideology versus the disillusioned, young, disparately poor, societally damaged/destined, never to marry extremists following only the most hateful and extreme clerics.
#11

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:16 pm, purplepeep said:

I thought this wasn’t “terrorism related” or whatever macro the Dept Of Homeland “Security” used at time.

Interesting to read the news on this – hate that Grand Jury secrecy when I wanna know what’s happening.
#12

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:19 pm, DesertLover said:

Speakup

Well said.

Further proof that brainwashing and ideological indoctrination know no societal boundaries …
#13

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:20 pm, ajmontana said:

Pukes of Hazardous Materials

Fixed it for ya, I’ve learned not to drink Pepsi and read at the same time..it hurts. You guy’s are hittin my funny bone today.
#14

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:25 pm, Lindsay said:

This is finally is making national news—though not on Drudge yet. I was surprised that this was never a Drudge item…

Very happy with the indictment. Wonder if the pipe bombers are still smiling now?
#15

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:27 pm, ajmontana said:

bad link lindsay, and good point no smiles today for them.
#16

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:29 pm, Lindsay said:

Sorry, this is the link

Maybe it will work this time!
#17

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:37 pm, CMD said:

The AP sure has a way with headlines.

“Fla. Students Face Explosives Indictment”

Versus

“Fla. Student Faces Terrorism Indictment”

Which do you think contains more compelling and important information?
#18

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:39 pm, HeatherRadish said:

where they have been held on state charges

I don’t see anything about bail. Does this mean none was applied for, none granted?
#19

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:43 pm, trinitytim said:

I told you my sources would be right.

I hate it when I’m right. No I don’t.
#20

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:43 pm, ajmontana said:

Both Mohamed and Megahed are in the country legally on student visas, officials said.

And this cycle continues like there is no clear and present danger, havn’t we learned from way back it isnt a good idea????
#21

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:50 pm, purplepeep said:

Hopefully the Feds are connecting all the dots on Mohamed Beavis and Butt-Megahed.
#22

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:52 pm, DesertLover said:

ajmontana

Guess you didn’t know that the MSM and the libs found H.G.Wells time machine …

everytime something happens that goes against their agenda they jump in and set the travel date to 9/10/2001…
#23

On August 31st, 2007 at 2:56 pm, bear1909 said:

Close the student visa programs from every country in the world. Tell the Universities and colleges to identify and track down every student visa holder from the last 10 years- and if they can’t be located we will have some idea of how HUGE this problem has become.

Back in 1982 I was at a rural midwest university that was admitting grad students by the truckload from places like Tashkent, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia…..i mean THOUSANDS.

Some were very clearly amicable and others were just downright uncivil and caustic. Wonder who was whom? They are now in there 50s and 60s- whose tracking this? Who should be?

I am with ajmontana about that USF joint- time to flush them out of there using good old fashion stealth detective work. People on college campuses tend to be flamboyant in their endeavors. Lots of trails to be found undercover.
#24

On August 31st, 2007 at 3:04 pm, Snooper said:

awwwwwwwwwwwww!

Leave the poor terrorists alone! All they wanted to do was to make a point!
#25

On August 31st, 2007 at 3:07 pm, Lindsay said:

I guess we will know more details next week:

Steve Cole, a spokesman for federal prosecutors in Tampa, declined to talk about what the men may have been planning to do with the explosives.

“We expect more details may come out in their initial appearance, which will likely take place next week in Charleston, S.C., but we are making no further comment,” Cole said.
#26

On August 31st, 2007 at 3:17 pm, ajmontana said:

In the mean time put them in a stall er uh I mean cell next to…oh nevermind.
#27

On August 31st, 2007 at 3:23 pm, ajmontana said:

It seems crazy that more time is spent trying to figure out steroid use in professional sports than to track down cowardly low life scum sucking pig terrorists.
#28

On August 31st, 2007 at 3:42 pm, bear1909 said:

the msm is completely corrupt on most issues (no surprise here).

check out these latest takes (written by Jack Kelly over at Tothepointnews.com, a paysite, sorry no link)

1. There is the Craig homosexual sex scandal *ALL* over the news.

2. “The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that a lower middle class family in suburban San Francisco has contributed $45,000 to Hillary Clinton and $200,000 to Democratic candidates since 2005, contributions they almost certainly couldn’t afford on the $49,000 annual salary chief breadwinner William Paw earned as a postal worker.” Anyone seen any alphabet channel coverage of this?

3. “On Wednesday, the Federal Elections Commission levied the third highest fine in its history — $775,000 — on the George Soros’ funded group, ACT (Americans Coming Together) for flouting campaign finance laws in the 2004 election. ACT claimed it was using money for non-partisan purposes when in fact it was spending millions to defeat President Bush, the FEC said.”

I didn’t see coverage of this on The PBS News Hour.

We have a lot of payback to dish onto the MSM as we continue to break wide open this IslamoFascist conspiracy to ruin our Nation.
#29

On August 31st, 2007 at 3:50 pm, ajmontana said:

I havn’t heard diddly about Hsu’s ordeal but to be fair I’ve been watchin the Cubs since 11:00pst. As far as the lying arrogant crapweasel story if I hear that tape one more time I may hang myself.
#30

On August 31st, 2007 at 4:00 pm, AlohaGuy said:

faces terrorism charges for teaching and demonstrating how to use the explosives.

Sounds like the Feds were on this way before they were speeding. Very nice job!
#31

On August 31st, 2007 at 4:52 pm, bear1909 said:

Speeding was a symptom of their nefarious agenda.
#32

On August 31st, 2007 at 5:29 pm, Leatherneck said:

Another example from the cult of the moon god.
#33

On August 31st, 2007 at 5:44 pm, RobM1981 said:

Would CAIR support Islamic Justice here? I mean, can we lop their arms off, or something, before we make them walk to Gitmo? Those last 90 miles are a duesey, boys…

Do you know what really entertains me?

If tonight, this very night, Katie Couric lashed out at these animals as terrorists, applauded the local authorities and FBI for the excellent job they did, and castigated CAIR – and KEPT UP THAT TONE for the next year – she’d be the ratings champion by next Christmas. 100% guaranteed.

Don’t hold your breath.
#34

On August 31st, 2007 at 5:53 pm, leepro said:

#23 bear1909 said:

Close the student visa programs from every country in the world. Tell the Universities and colleges to identify and track down every student visa holder from the last 10 years- and if they can’t be located we will have some idea of how HUGE this problem has become.

Brilliant idea! That would place an extremely important responsibility on our higher education system to do their part in protecting our country’s security. They want the grants and student loans? Let ‘em work for it! It would also provide additional security measures without costing the Homeland Security Department a single dime!
#35

On August 31st, 2007 at 5:55 pm, leepro said:

Sorry. Should’ve entered bear’s words as a quote:

Close the student visa programs from every country in the world. Tell the Universities and colleges to identify and track down every student visa holder from the last 10 years- and if they can’t be located we will have some idea of how HUGE this problem has become.
#36

On August 31st, 2007 at 10:47 pm, trinitytim said:

They’re everywhere!!!

They’re everywhere !!!

When you see something, Say something. They’re here and they’re getting ready.

Be vigilant my fellow Americans. Remember the DC area snipers. Muslim converts they were. I bet there are plently more out there, just waiting for the right time to strike.