Campbell was arrested in New York on his way to Florida, where he planned to show his “contact” some uranium samples.
The samples, wrapped in plastic bags, had been hidden in the soles of a pair of shoes in his luggage, the indictment said.
It could take quite a few plane trips to transport 1,000 tons that way.
Get the lead of your shoes!
Get the Lead out of your shoes!
How do you hide 1000 tons of uranium in your shoe?
Michelle Antoinette: “Let them eat yellow cake”
“I make the best yellowcake in the southwest.
Keep walkin’ mister. Take your shoes, beat it!”
Amy Bouzaglo, Atomic Baking Company
Scottsdale, AZ
I guess keeping quiet is not part of the operation.
I don’t know how much Uranium he had in his shoes but, the nominal spherical critical mass for an untampered 235U nuclear weapon is 56 kilograms (120 lb),[3] a sphere 17.32 cm (6.8”) in diameter . You might be able to hide a volume that size in your shoes, but you would have a hard time walking with-it. It would be like walking with a sixty pound weight on each foot.
I’m trying to figger out what law was broken ? If the yellow cake was in Sierra Leone and the customer was Iran the US gov’t might not like the sale but couldn’t possibly make it illegal. An international embargo isn’t enough to get one in a US jail. Yellow cake is essentially yellow dirt and is less radioactive than a good watch. I can see the guy hiding his sample so some airport jerkopf doesn’t think his baggy is full of dirty coke but I don’t , so far, see this guy getting busted for anymore than general stupidity.
Well, the good news is... this idjit won’t be reproducing. His sperm count is in the negative range.
Any of you old folks remember going to a shoe store back in the 50s and sticking your feet into an x-ray machine to check the fit? I spent a lot of time wiggling my toes to see the bones.
Our guy's had three viewing ports. One for mom, one for the kid, and one for the shoe salesman. I wonder what those cost back then.
I'm surprised we don't all have toe cancer. Or maybe the shoe got eventually got some kind if there wasn't enough shielding.
NOTE The following text is a quote:
www.ice.gov/news/releases/1308/130823miami.htm
News Releases
AUGUST 23, 2013MIAMI, FL
Sierra Leone man arrested for brokering Uranium deal for Iran
MIAMI – Federal agents arrested a Sierra Leone man Wednesday for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by attempting to broker the sale of yellowcake uranium to Iran. The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police.
According to court documents, Patrick Campbell, 33, of Freetown, Sierra Leone, traveled to the United States Aug. 21. Campbell brought a sample of uranium with him, which he concealed in the soles of shoes packed in his luggage. Campbell transported the uranium under the premise that it was going to be provided to a representative for a group of individuals seeking to obtain uranium and supply it to Iran. He was arrested by HSI special agents at John F. Kennedy Airport upon his arrival in the United States.
If convicted, Campbell faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and up to a $1 million fine.
Campbell made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday.
HSI aims to prevent terrorist groups and hostile nations from illegally obtaining U.S. military products and sensitive technology, including weapons of mass destruction. The Counter-Proliferation Investigations Unit, part of the HSI National Security Investigations Division, oversees a broad range of investigations related to export law violations. It enforces U.S. export laws involving military items and controlled dual-use goods, as well as products going to sanctioned or embargoed countries. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov/HSI.
He was caught with a fake passport, too.
He was caught with a fake passport, too, according to Sierra Leone, which says he is not their citizen.
He came from Nigeria supposedly.
Interesting, said his company Horizon Ltd sold uranium 308 to China and Ecuador.
Judging by the complaint- in spite of his law firm’s assertions- he knew quite well it was a smuggling effort and agreed to hide the big shipment in a shipment of chromite.
Interestingly, this obscure littlestory sure got someone’s attention:
Iran Slams ‘US Uranium Scenario’ as Bid to Scuttle P5+1 Talks
World
15:55 24.08.2013
Topic:
Iran’s nuclear program (186)
000
The US allegation about an attempt by a man from Sierra Leone to sell uranium to Iran is designed to thwart Tehran’s upcoming talks with a group of international mediators, Press TV reported on Saturday, citing a senior Iranian lawmaker.
MOSCOW, August 24 (RIA Novosti) - The US allegation about an attempt by a man from Sierra Leone to sell uranium to Iran is designed to thwart Tehran’s upcoming talks with a group of international mediators, Press TV reported on Saturday, citing a senior Iranian lawmaker.
On Friday, Western media reported that US prosecutors have charged Patrick Campbell, 33, of Freetown with attempting to sell to undercover agents 1,000 tons of yellowcake uranium he believed would be shipped to Iran. He was arrested Wednesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport with a sample of the toxic substance concealed in his baggage.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of Iran’s Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, described the “US scenario” as a “joke,” the agency reported.
The Islamic Republic does not need to buy yellow cake from the citizens of other countries, he was quoted by Press TV as saying.
“Iran is among the producers of yellow cake; therefore, the claim is designed to affect Iran’s talks with the P5+1 group (permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) under the new administration.”
The latest round of negotiations between Iran and the group of international negotiators on its controversial nuclear program was held on April 6 in Almaty while the date for the next round has not been set yet.
However, in a telephone conversation on August 18, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the group of international mediators, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed readiness for the resumption of negotiations, the agency said.
The UN Security Council adopted six resolutions as part of international efforts to address Iran’s nuclear program between 2006 and 2010.
Western countries suspect Iran of using its nuclear program to develop atomic weapons capability, a claim Iran has consistently denied. Tehran claims it needs atomic technology for producing electricity, although it has some of the world’s largest reserves of oil and gas.
© RIA Novosti. Denis Krukov
Iran’s nuclear program