Posted on 08/15/2006 2:41:50 PM PDT by abb
DURHAM, N.C. -- A cab driver who has supported an alibi offered by one of the three Duke lacrosse players charged with rape had his own court appearance Tuesday for a larceny charge.
Moezeldin Elmostafa, 37, appeared briefly before a Durham County District Court judge who set a trial date of Aug. 29. Prosecutors also changed the charge against Elmostafa to aiding and abetting misdemeanor larcency.
Elmostafa was arrested in May after he surfaced as a potential alibi witness for Reade Seligmann, one of three players charged with raping a woman at an off-campus party the night of March 13.
The 2003 warrant accused Elmostafa of stealing five purses worth about $250 from a Durham department store. Elmostafa denies the charge, and has said he helped store security locate a woman after he picked her up from the store and drove her home. The woman later pleaded guilty to larceny.
Durham prosecutors said in May the warrant for Elmostafa's arrest was discovered in a routine background check of witnesses in the Duke lacrosse case.
Mostafa has said Seligmann, of Essex Fells, N.J., called for a ride at 12:14 a.m. on March 14, and was picked up five minutes later. The defense has argued those times help establish that Seligmann left the party without having enough time to participate in the 30-minute assault described by the accuser. Seligmann's attorney has also presented cell phone, ATM and dorm keycard records to help establish that timeline.
(Excerpt) Read more at dwb.newsobserver.com ...
Better an hour than 30 years.
Funny you would say this tonight. I had to travel to Chapel Hill today for a meeting, and I drove ALL THE WAY AROUND Durham! LOL!
Actually, it looks like they share the same parents. DNA tests? ;-)
PBR, you must have a very, very long arm!!!
Has somebody informed Neff about these latest developments?
Surely he can put 2 and 2 together for the readership?
AND maybe call at last for a federal investigation?
("If not now, when?")
The poster said he heard the report and he has been a pretty reliable poster with this type of info.
It might be like Mike was describing with the N&O.
Yes, could be. That link I just posted is the AP story that's at the NandO. The live tv report could have mentioned a tape. But what's a tape going to show? He was the cab driver? Hellfire, he's admitted that.
I think there is definitely a relationship here. And it ain't pretty!! ;-)
Good Points - for every jurisdiction but DURHAM!
I suspect it'll be a Durham Judge deciding if she's to be believed - not a Jury.
It's about a minor a crime as there is. IMO, there's no way he can ask for a Jury Trial.
Nifong only has to get Judge Stephens to rubber stamp it, just like he did the last time with Kim Roberts (like they don't know the Kim violated probation when she didn't pay a dime for 5 years?).
That's the problem with this case - everything has to be viewed in a different light.
Thanks!
I'm wondering if they are actually twins. Do you think they both have that same pear shape body? LOL!
They need Sally Hawkins - a tape doesn't get them what they want. Two weeks ago, I paid a cabbie to get me to the airport in an expedited fashion. Happens all the time.
She only needed to give him a story about why she was rushed and how he'd be compensated (tipped extra). So, even speeding away doesn't prove a thing. Not to anyone that's ever used a
Cab to get to an airport. Elmostafa also works the airport circuit, I'm told.
THEY NEED HAWKINS, thus (as my theory goes) DPD shows up to search her place (since she's on probation, she has to submit to warrantless searches). They find something (could've been 10 years old) and check it out - turns out it's stolen. She is arrested on a Probation Violation in July. She's sentenced back to Jail and she's scheduled to get out on 9-21-06. Nifong or an ADA or Linwood or Gottlieb probably discussed her options with her prior to her hearing. I'd be shocked if she's not a cooperating state's witness.
.
What appears to be a drug addict and repeat offender against this record?!?
http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/471043.html
The prosecutor's office or police collected evidence on Elmostafa that included his insurance and driving history, several years' worth of drug tests -- all of which were negative -- and a criminal record check.
Weeks ago, someone suggested that by arresting the potential witnesses for the defense, that they would be discredited in court. Wouldn't the same theory hold true for Nifong? If he has continually let this habitual criminal walk after some 127 crimes, is her credibility not brought into question as a potential witness?
Oh hell yes. Especially since Nifong has the key to the jail cell. She'll say whatever she needs to say to open the door...
Maggief,
DId you catch that they part you reference - the most damning part of that article (that Nifong was involved personally and the Disparate treatment of Kim Roberts) was OMITTED from the N&O Print edition?
I still can't get over that.
I HAVE to believe Nifong let an ADA handle this (and he controlled it from behind the scenes) so, he can say he had nothing to do with it. That doesn't wash - because he RUNS the whole office.
This was probably - most likely the ADA that got a noise conviction on Evans - I think. She's a black female that graduated from NCCU. Rumors have it that she's not too friendly to Duke students.
For the youngsters in the crowd... that would be Snidley Whiplash.....
Nyant..ahh ... ahhhhhh.
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