Posted on 04/27/2005 1:18:59 PM PDT by Calpernia
NEWARK, N.J. (Reuters) - A British businessman was found guilty on Wednesday of trying to aid terrorists for selling a shoulder-launched missile to an informant posing as a militant seeking to attack the United States.
Hemant Lakhani, 69, a British citizen born in India, was found guilty of five criminal charges by a U.S. District Court jury in Newark, New Jersey, that began deliberating on Tuesday.
Lakhani was arrested in August 2003 after a two-year international sting operation and accused of trying to provide material support to terrorists, unlawful arms sales, smuggling and two counts of money laundering.
His arrest was among the first terrorism arrests on U.S. soil after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. U.S. authorities described him as a major arms dealer and the case as a major blow in the war against terrorism. Defense lawyers portrayed him as a hapless businessman caught in a setup.
"Today is a triumph for the Justice Department in the war against terrorism," said U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie.
"Mr. Lakhani was engaged in a scheme willingly, knowingly and anxiously to sell arms to be used against American citizens," he said. "The evidence showed he was enthusiastic about what death and destruction might result."
During the trial that began in January, prosecutors provided videotapes and taped telephone conversations of Lakhani making the deal with an undercover FBI informant posing as an Islamic militant. They said Lakhani spoke admiringly of Osama bin Laden and claimed his missiles could shoot down up to 15 airplanes.
Prosecutors also said Lakhani went frequently to Ukraine to buy Russian-made missiles he hoped to sell to a Somali militant group.
JUROR: "IT WAS BLACK AND WHITE"
Juror June Cantor, 46, said after the verdict that the evidence was overwhelming.
"It was black and white, there were films, there were transcripts, and in over 500 exhibits we could not find that he was reluctant or questioning," she said. "He was not entrapped."
Defense attorney Henry Klingeman said Lakhani was disappointed by the verdicts and said it seemed the jury was convinced by the videotapes.
"The best evidence and the only evidence was Mr. Lakhani's own words, and that is what did him in," he said. Lakhani did not testify in his own defense.
The jury deliberated just seven and a half hours.
Cantor said she believed Lakhani was motivated by greed rather than hatred of America and noted that the jury that decided his fate was influenced by their memories of the Sept. 11 attacks that flattened New York's landmark twin towers.
"It is hard not to separate your emotions because we are Americans and we went through 9/11 and he was so enthusiastic," she said.
Sentencing was set for Aug. 8. The most serious charge against Lakhani carries the possibility of 15 years in prison.
Lakhani was arrested in a New Jersey hotel room while he was demonstrating a sample shoulder-fired missile to an informant posing as a Somali terrorist.
The prosecution said Lakhani accepted a $30,000 downpayment for the missile and was eager to sell as many as 50 additional missiles.
Shouldn't they have taken him out the case before reading the verdict? < rimshot >
Just another reason why profiling is doesn't work... oh wait, nope, it would have worked here just fine. My mistake.
Businessman, my eye. He was a businessman like bin Laden was a businessman. Why does the MSM always do that? If he had been some kind of rightwing militia type, do 'ya think Rooters would've referred to him as a businessman?
Speaking of the MSM, I can't find an US media on this. This was our first Terrorist conviction since 9/11, verdict broke this afternoon, and I am using European news sources.
They didnt want to finish deliberations before they got the free lunch.
Now a Clinton appointed Judge will give him a 3 years suspended sentence and 5 years on probation.
Hi, Calpernia! . . . Just did a Google news search on his name and things are starting to come up now. But our lovely friends at Reuters were the only ones whose headline started off with 'British Businessman Convicted . . .' Most of the others are using 'Man Convicted . . .'
Finally!! US Media!
Man Convicted of Trying to Sell Missiles
NEWARK, N.J. Apr 27, 2005 — A former British clothing merchant was convicted Wednesday of attempting to sell shoulder-launched missiles to what he believed was a terrorist group planning to shoot down airliners.
The federal jury reached its verdict in its second day of deliberations, finding Hemant Lakhani guilty on all five counts.
Lakhani, 69, was arrested in 2003 at a hotel room near the Newark airport after getting caught in a sting operation in which undercover operatives posed as terrorists and arms dealers. Prosecutors said he agreed to arrange the sale of more than 50 missiles.
It was the first terrorism case prosecuted in New Jersey since the Sept. 11 attacks.
U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie called the verdict "a triumph for the Justice Department in the war against terror." Lakhani, he added, "didn't care who he was dealing them to, or what they wanted to use them for."
Prosecutors said Lakhani, a British citizen of Indian descent, was heard in one taped conversation saying Osama bin Laden "straightened these idiots he did a very good thing," in reference to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and spoke about providing the missiles in time for the one-year anniversary of the attacks.
His attorney, Henry Klingeman, insisted Lakhani had no sympathies with terrorist groups, and argued that his client was a victim of entrapment.
"There was no missile plot until the government created it," Klingeman told the jury. "It's a lot like a fireman who lights a fire and then pulls the alarm so he can be the hero."
Lakhani was convicted of attempting to provide material support to terrorists, money laundering and other charges. The most serious charges carry up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing was set for Aug. 8.
Three others connected to the case pleaded guilty to money laundering or related charges but denied any connections to terrorist organizations. They are awaiting sentencing.
The jury saw a covertly made video of the hotel meeting that showed Lakhani laughing and joking with a government informant, Mohammad Habib Rehman, about using missiles against commercial planes as the two men looked out a window overlooking the airport. In a box was a disabled Russian-made shoulder-fired missile.
Rehman posed as a representative of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, an East African rebel group.
Prosecutors said about $86,000 was wired to a foreign bank account for Lakhani for the one missile.
Prosecutors said Lakhani made several trips to Ukraine to contact arms suppliers in an attempt to obtain more missiles.
"He made trip after trip after trip," federal prosecutor Brian Howe told the jury. "This guy was the Energizer Bunny of arms traffickers. He just kept going and going."
Lakhani's trial began in January but had several breaks while he underwent an angioplasty for a heart condition and then an emergency double hernia operation.
Everyone is writing that Lakhani was a clothing dealer.
He hasn't done clothing since the 80s.
He dabbled as a oil broker for an affiliate business of Enron, small arms and food (mostly rice).
Rehman used his business, House of Rice to get the missile shipped from Russia to the USA as 'dental supplies'.
bumping that!
I would rather them use Terrorist convicted though.
Only evidence was his own words? I thot the story said he demonstrated a sample missile? And would it have been live or painted blue? If the missile was live there should be a quarter million dollar fine associated with the sentence---a bit steep for a poor working shirt maker! Need more reporting!!!
Oh, the sample missile was "disabled "? He oughta get another 10 years for stupidity---anybody can buy a classroom training missile. But then there is "the one " missile for 86K$ The story is still goofy---guess we need a detailed write-up on court testimony?
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