Goose Creek Arrests Result In Felony Charges
August 7, 2007 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
If this is your first time visiting National Terror Alert you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. The National terror Alert feed features breaking news, alerts and bulletins on demand and it's free of charge..
You will only see this message on your first visit to the site. Thanks for visiting!
From The Charleston Post and Courier -Two Florida students accused of having pipe bombs in the trunk of their car when they were pulled over in Goose Creek are “confused and scared,” their attorney said Monday.
Yousseff Megahed, 21, and Ahmed Mohamed, 26, both Egyptian citizens, were calm and polite in Berkeley County bond court. They were charged Monday with carrying explosive devices, which is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The weekend arrest drew national attention, because the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig, a military prison where enemy combatants are held, and the Naval Weapons Station are nearby. An FBI spokesman said the two are not suspected of being part of a terrorist plot.
The leader of a Muslim advocacy group who has been talking with Megahed’s family said the two were heading to North Carolina to celebrate Mohamed’s birthday, which was Sunday.
“Family members are very concerned, shocked about what has developed,” said Ahmed Bedier, executive director of the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The contents of the trunk might have been part of the celebration, he said.
Mohamed asked for a chance to speak at Monday’s bond hearing and said he was carrying fireworks in the trunk. Magistrate Ava Bryant Ayers reminded him that the bond hearing was to determine whether they were flight risks and not to talk about details of the charges.
Ayers set a $300,000 bond for Megahed and $500,000 for Mohamed. Solicitor Scarlett Wilson argued that the two were flight risks. A hearing on the charges is scheduled for Oct. 5.
An affidavit from the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office said officers from the bomb squad determined that pipe bombs were in the trunk. Pipe bombs are homemade explosives, and making or having them is a felony.
Mohamed told the arresting officer he used materials he bought at a Wal-Mart, according to the affidavit.
