CG
Posted on 12/19/2003 3:06:12 AM PST by Liz
An alleged missile broker arrested in New Jersey suggested to his buyer that the weapons be launched simultaneously against 15 U.S. jetliners and offered to deliver a radioactive "dirty bomb" for use against Americans, federal authorities said yesterday.
Prosecutors announced the new allegations after a grand jury sitting in Newark returned a five-count indictment against the man, Hemant Lakhani.
The 69-year-old London resident was arrested Aug. 12 at a hotel near Newark Liberty International Airport after he thought he had delivered an Igla shoulder-fired missile to a Somali terrorist who said he wanted to down U.S. planes. Officials said the missile was the first of more than 50 Lakhani had promised to deliver.
The terrorist was actually a cooperating witness for the FBI. The missile, sold for $86,000, was a harmless replica that Lakhani bought from Russian federal agents who posed as weapons manufacturers.
Lakhani was indicted on a charge of attempting to provide material support to terrorism, an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison. He also faces charges of money laundering, unlawful brokering of foreign defense articles and attempting to import merchandise by means of false statements.
The indictment nearly mirrored a criminal complaint filed after Lakhani's arrest. But it also included new details of the 18-month sting by federal agents in Newark, Russia and Great Britain.
U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie said Lakhani brazenly suggested to the FBI witness that he buy more missiles and use 10 to 15 of them to simultaneously down jetliners at airports across America. In the conversation, one of more than 100 taped by FBI agents, Lakhani suggested launching the attacks on Sept. 11 to incite a war, Christie said.
Lakhani also told his would-be buyer that he could secure anti-aircraft weapons, tanks, radar systems, armored personnel carriers and a "dirty bomb" that would spread radiation once it exploded, the prosecutor said.
Christie said investigators have no proof linking Lakhani to any terror group, but repeated his belief that Lakhani was a "significant arms dealer." He declined to elaborate, but said government attorneys are prepared to prove the claim at trial, when he leads the prosecution team.
"This is not someone who was just a businessman looking to make a buck," he said at a news conference. "We've become convinced that this is also someone who, at least in some way, was a true believer in the cause that America should be attacked and that its citizens should be killed."
A native of India, Lakhani has been jailed in Passaic County since his arrest.
Lakhani's attorney, Henry Klingeman, said yesterday that his client is "not a significant arms dealer," but rather a trained lawyer who spent decades as an importer and exporter of women's clothing.
Klingeman said Lakhani brokered one legitimate arms deal several years ago when he helped the Angolan government purchase a single armored truck from a state-licensed Ukrainian arms supplier. The defense attorney said Lakhani has never been involved in any illegal arms dealing. He said he plans to argue entrapment at trial.
"The plot that the government foiled was a conspiracy that the government conceived, planned and executed through its own agents and no one else," Klingeman said.
The indictment did not mention the two other defendants in the case, Moinuddeen Ahmed Hameed, 38, of Malaysia and Yehuda Abraham, 76, a jeweler from Queens. Both were arrested in August at Abraham's office in Manhattan, where prosecutors said the men conspired to help Lakhani secretly transfer his missile payments to an account overseas.
Christie said investigators have no proof that either man knew the money was part of a terror-related plot. Both have talked with prosecutors; such conversations sometimes lead to plea bargains.
"Those discussions are ongoing," Christie said.
The defense attorneys for Abraham and Hameed did not return calls seeking comment yesterday.
A plea deal for Lakhani is unlikely, his attorney said. Because of his age, "any sentence would be a life sentence," Klingeman said.
Louie Allen, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark division, said the investigation continued even after Lakhani's arrest.
"We're uncovering new facts which will make our case a lot better when we get to court," he said.
The prosecutors also announced they have taken steps to seize the $86,000 from Lakhani. The money represents the amount Lakhani received from the cooperating witness for the missile. It was transferred to an overseas account, but nothing was paid to the Russian agents.
"Law enforcement does not have that money to date," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Clark said.
John P. Martin covers the federal courts. He can be reached at jmartin@starledger.com or (973) 622-3405.
Another suspect, the only American charged in the missile plot, Yehuda Abraham, a wealthy New York gem dealer who owns jewelry stores around the world, was released on $10 million bail, but is required to wear an electronic device to monitor his movements.
Authorities said Abraham and Moinuddeen Ahmed Hameed, a 38-year-old citizen of India who, the government said, arrived in the New York area from Malaysia, were enlisted to help manage the financial arrangements for the arms deal.
Abraham and Hameed were charged with conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business, a shady practice conducted in the shadowy enclave of the New York Diamond District.
Illegal money-transfers are said to be the favored MO of terrorists since the subrosa financing is conducted underground out of sight of US banking procedures designed to leave paper trails.
The secretive money-transfer system, authorities say, is also used to evade US taxes and launder funny money.
Gee, I'm so scared (yawn).
Oh, I can see how some Joe Sixpack comes along, runs into a terrorist, and then innocently plays middle man between terrorists and the Russians with missile sales. It could happen to anyone. </sarcasm>
"This message, Mr. Phelps...will blowup in 5 seconds...4...3...3...1..."
Did I just break the the law??? Terrorist Threating. :))
"This message, Mr. Phelps...will blow-Up in 5 seconds...4...3...2...1..." Did I just break the law??? Terrorist Threating. :))
Heheh. Nice scenario. That'd make a great script for the gullible Hollywarped types who'll do anything for a buck......Paging Miramx.....Harvey Weinstein, call your office......LOL.
Lessee, we could star Alec Baldwin as Joe Sixpack the ignorant hick who meets a terrorist in a Southampton health food store at the wheat grass bin.
They then go to the Diamond District to do the money deal where Joe meets the love interest--Jannine Garafalo--a carat weigher--and an overweight animal lover whose dog is named "Saddam."
The shady moneyman--played by Woody Allen--is a self-absorbed fanatical sex fiend, and an incomptetent bungler who gets them all arrested.
And so America lives happily ever after. LOL.
You know you conservatives are so unreasonable. Just because terrorists want to blow
up a couple jet liners and damge the US economy, you want to go and punish them.
(Sniffle) Don't you realize these guys are "victims" (sob)?
Be very scared of a "trained lawyer" who imports panties and bras.
Next thing you know he'll be setting off IUD's.
(improvised undie device)
And beware those panty cams although they do come in handy for Dumbocrat interns who need evidence.
Oh no, not another Elvis sighting (groan).
"Christie said investigators have no proof that either man knew the money was part of a terror-related plot. Both have talked with prosecutors; such conversations sometimes lead to plea bargains.
"'Those discussions are ongoing,' Christie said."
No proof that the two were involved? Yeah. Riiiight. All they did was facilitate and organize the whole thing. If that isn't terrorism, then what is? Why was Yehuda Abraham given bail, when Jose Padilla is sitting in Guantanamo?
The very fact that the three got caught in the act violated their "rights." How dare the authorities interfere with their efforts to shoot down innocent Americans and undermine the economy of our country. That was politically incorrect and intolerant and uncompassionate on the part of law enforcement (/sarcasm).
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