Remember the TrakFone Terrorists?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: David Lesher <wb8foz () nrk com>
Date: September 7, 2006 10:03:37 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Remember the TrakFone Terrorists?
Reply-To: wb8foz () nrk com


Prof. F:

Remember the Texas men, arrested in Mich. for buying Trakfones from
WalMart?  The one where the Assistant US Attorney Janet Parker said
"They're middle men...integral cogs in a conspiracy."


Well..

http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_249203735.html

        (CBS 11 News) DALLAS Three north Texas men, originally
        accused of planning terrorism are home after all charges
        against them were dropped by a Michigan [sic] judge.

        After finding there was too little evidence to try the
        men, the [federal] judge threw out conspiracy and money
        laundering charges.

        Twenty-three year old Louai Othman, his 21-year-old
        brother Adham Othman, and their 18-year-old cousin Maruan
        Muhareb, were arrested August 11th, after police found
        1,000 pre-paid cell phones in their possession.


They also were found to have {gasp!} a box-cutter in their van;
they'd used it to open the Trakfone blister packs. The Marquette
County Sheriff made a specific point of that important aspect.

But besides the legal fees they have incurred:

        According to their attorney the men will not be allowed to
        get their property back. That includes 1,000 cell phones
        and a laptop computer, in all worth an estimated $25,000.


And this all started when:

        "The only reason they stopped us was because a woman from
        Wal-Mart called and said there are people, speaking in
        Arabic, and I'm suspicious. That's the only reason the
        cops came and they stopped us."




A) I'm happy US Magistrate Charles E. Binder has more common
sense than the Officer Obie ^H^H the Marquette County Sheriff &
AUSA Parker. (After all, federal judges don't need to run for
relection..)

B) Who needs criminals when the cops can rob you? Excuse me,
that's "confiscate" your property and cash.

C) I hope they get a good attorney and not only sue Tuscola County
but also WalMart. Maybe Sam's kids should post signs explaining
that you are subject to arrest for speaking in other than English.
[But what about Spanish....is IT allowed?]



No word on the similar case in Ohio.






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