Free Republic

Philly Cleric Sentenced for Corruption By JOANN LOVIGLIO, Associated Press Writer Mon Sep 19, 2:12 PM ET A prominent Muslim cleric on Monday was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on racketeering and other charges, the latest in a string of convictions stemming from the FBI's sweeping probe of municipal corruption. Prosecutors said that Shamsud-din Ali, 67, used his political connections to obtain dubious loans, donations and city contracts. In addition to his 87-month sentence, Ali was ordered to pay restitution. He was released pending an appeal. The investigation of the so-called "pay to play" culture in Philadelphia's...

(AP) -- Federal prosecutors have asked that an anonymous jury be impaneled for the trial of six men accused of plotting to attack soldiers on Fort Dix. In a motion filed Monday, the U.S. attorney's office said potential jurors might fear for their safety because of the nature of the charges and the international publicity around the case. The request could be discussed at a meeting Friday before U.S. District Judge Robert Kugler. Attorney Rocco Cipparone, who represents Mohamad Shnewer, told the Courier-Post of Cherry Hill for Tuesday's editions that he opposes an anonymous jury, fearing it would only fuel...

By JEFFREY GOLD – 6 hours ago CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — An anonymous jury will hear the case of six men accused of plotting to attack soldiers at Fort Dix, a federal judge ruled Thursday. U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler rejected defense complaints that such a jury would be biased. He agreed with federal prosecutors that the trial presents an exceptional case and could create apprehensive jurors. Several factors led to his decision, including pretrial publicity, he said. The six were arrested in May and charged with planning to raid the New Jersey military installation, which is being used...

Five indicted in plot to kill soldiers at Fort Dix Five men arrested last month for allegedly plotting an armed assault on Fort Dix in Burlington County were indicted last week, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Christopher J. Christie announced. The five defendants are charged with conspiracy and other charges related to their plans to kill as many soldiers at the Army base as possible. A sixth man was indicted for aiding and abetting the illegal possession of firearms by three members of the group. The charges and details in the indictment mostly mirror those brought in the original criminal...

HADDONFIELD, New Jersey — Federal authorities say one of the men accused of planning an attack on soldiers at the Fort Dix army base gave another inmate in a federal detention center an Al Qaeda recruitment video and another wrote a note referring to the fight "we weren't able to finish." The U.S. Attorney's Office made the allegations in a brief filed in U.S. District Court late Tuesday to oppose the suspects' request to be granted bail. A lawyer for one of the men said the government is misrepresenting an incident...The five men — all foreign-born Muslims in their 20s...

The government never accused Muslim Tatar, a 55-year-old pizza shop owner, of doing anything illegal. But Tatar says his life fell apart after his son was among six men charged last May in connection with a plot to attack Fort Dix. He sees his son, who he says is innocent, only through the glass wall at a federal detention center. He has been called a terrorist - and worse. He has health problems. He lost his pizza shop and struggled to find another job as a part-time cook. "My mortgage is behind," he said. "Everything's a big problem. My family...

CAMDEN, New Jersey-A man who admitted letting a group of accused terror-plotters shoot his guns at a firing range was sentenced to 20 months in prison on Monday. Judge Robert Kugler said Agron Abdullahu, who is originally from Kosovo, deserved more than the 10 to 16 months that sentencing guidelines call for because he knew the men who were talking about violence against Americans. "I am convinced that he is not as innocent as he'd like us to believe," Kugler said before handing down his sentence. "This is not a common, ordinary, technical violation of the law." However, the sentence...

A look at the Fort Dix suspects By INQUIRER STAFF A closer look at the men charged with plotting to attack Fort Dix. The information was provided by the U.S. Department of Justice: • Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, 22, of Cherry Hill. He was born in Jordan, is a U.S. citizen, and is employed as a taxicab driver in Philadelphia. • Eljvir Duka, 23, of Cherry Hill, also goes by "Elvis Duka" and "Sulayman," was born in the former Yugoslavia. Duka is illegally residing in the United States and operates businesses known as Qadr. Inc., Colonial Roofing and National Roofing, all...

CAMDEN, N.J.—A man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to providing weapons to a group of men accused of plotting an attack on Fort Dix. Agron Abdullahu, 25, faces up to five years in federal prison when he is sentenced Feb. 6. Federal prosecutors have portrayed the New Jersey resident as having the smallest role among the six men arrested earlier this year in the case. The 27-year-old was born in what is now Kosovo and worked in a bakery.

CAMDEN, N.J. - Six Muslim men suspected of plotting to massacre U.S. soldiers at Fort Dix were ordered held without bail Friday. Prosecutors argued that the men, all born outside the United States, pose a flight risk. They are being held at a federal detention center in Philadelphia. The men were arrested Monday night during what the FBI said was an attempt to buy AK-47 machine guns, M-16s and other weapons. They targeted Fort Dix, a post 25 miles east of Philadelphia that is used primarily to train reservists, partly because one of them had delivered pizzas there and was...