April 1, 2009, - 1:50 am
April’s Fools: Jury Still Deliberating in Megahed “Just Fireworks” Terrorist Trial, Doesn’t Look Good
By Debbie Schlussel
I said before the start of the trial of University of South Florida “Just Fireworks” Smiling Terrorist and Muslim, Youssef Megahed, that I didn’t think the feds would succeed in convicting him.
Megahed and his accomplice Ahmed Mohamed were caught by South Carolina Sheriff’s Deputies in August 2007, with pipe bombs/explosive materials in the trunk of their car. Their stories about visiting beaches didn’t add up, and soon it was discovered that one of them lived in a house owned by Islamic Jihad frontman Sami Al-Arian and that one of them made videos on how to turn remote control toys into explosive devices on airplanes, etc.
I hope I’m wrong about the outcome of this trial. But so far, the jury has already been deliberating for more than 2 hours, yesterday. Not coincidentally, today on April Fools Day, the fools, er . . . jurors will continue deliberations. This case should have been a slam dunk. They should have returned with guilty verdict on all counts in 45 minutes or less. Oh, and don’t forget: one of the juror’s son-in-law is Muslim.
As I noted on this site before the trial began, the feds did not believe they’d win this case, as they flub most major terrorism cases . . . perhaps on purpose. Their incompetence is that gross and legion. In fact, the feds were so worried, they desperately tried to get Megahed to take a plea deal, as they obtained from his accomplice Ahmed Mohamed (whose plea deal was so desperately obtained that they did not require his cooperation or testimony at the Megahed case–yup, incompetent).
I’ve known about certain aspects in the case that weren’t published in mainstream media reports some of which have come out in the trial. For instance, Megahed and Mohamed went to Walmart stores all over Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. They made tiny purchases on multiple Walmart cards at each store. The prosecutor mentioned this.
Monk wondered why the pair would stop at four Wal-Marts along the way and purchase items such as a drill, glue remover, gun patch, rifle kit, solvent and a rifle rod.
“They made a point to not purchase all those items at the same Wal-Mart stores,” he said.
He said Megahed’s fingerprints were found on the boxes of their purchases as well as on a gas can. They were all in the trunk, Monk said, proving he must have noticed the PVC pipes there.
Assistant federal public defender Adam Allen said the duo hit Wal-Marts because they were broke and had several gift cards. Megahed was in a rifle club [DS: in violation of his student visa . . . hello?], which he said explained some of the purchases. The gas can was in the trunk because Mohamed had run out of gas on a trip to Key West [DS: hmmm . . . isn’t that gay vacay land?] not long ago.
But here’s what prosecutors didn’t tell jurors: Gift cards are often used by drug dealers, terrorists, and other criminals to load up vast quantities of money and conceal it from authorities. At the time, Walmart gift cards were the gift card of choice because Walmart allowed cardholders to load amounts in excess of Patriot Act and federal reporting limits and to cash out the cards. That’s no longer the case as a result of this case.
Also, the reason the men bought little items at each store was to conceal their real purpose for hitting the stores. They were trying to buy guns, and at each Walmart, they were (thankfully) refused by employees who followed the law and demanded proof of citizenship or residence. Video from the stores apparently shows them trying to purchase guns. I don’t think the prosecutor–Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Monk–mentioned any of this, based on the coverage I’ve read of the trial (absurdly, prosecutors were barred by Judge Steven Merryday from mentioning the guns). Nor did he mention that the Megahed/Mohamed gun range shooting partner was another USF Muslim foreign student who was engaged in marriage fraud and was caught in New York by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, trying to leave the country at the time his M&M friends were caught. Not to mention these things is simply malpractice and deliberate flubbing of a good criminal case. There’s more which should have been mentioned that wasn’t and which you haven’t read elsewhere. I’ll disclose at some point in the future.
Also, one last thing: You’re paying for Youssef Megahed’s defense. He’s represented by a Federal Public Defender. But you have to ask yourself, if he’s so indigent that he needs American taxpayers to foot his bill, how did his father and brother afford fancy garish suits, and why did his lawyers say his father is a successful Tampa engineer? An engineer can’t pay for his own kid’s lawyer? And what happened to the Government of Egypt’s announced plan to pay for Megahed’s defense? Poof. Up in smoke. Better to rob and scam the American infidels and have them pay for the defense of this Islamic terrorist. That’s halal money, baby.
The joke’s on you, America. Happy April Fools Day to all of us.
Youssef Megahed Walk Watch, Day One.
No wonder they hate us. It’s hard to summon up a lot of respect for a country that tapes a big “kick me” sign to its own butt at every opportunity it seems.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the government is taking a dive on this case, that’s how high my opinion is of them. Maybe the jury will get it right anyway but I don’t think God’s hand of protection hovers over this confused country much anymore.
Tempus Fugit on April 1, 2009 at 3:30 am