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Terror charge dropped in cell phone case (Ohio)
AP on Yahoo ^ | 8/15/06 | Andrew Welsh-Huggins - ap

Posted on 08/15/2006 11:05:20 AM PDT by NormsRevenge

MARIETTA, Ohio - Prosecutors dropped the terrorism charges against two men arrested after buying large numbers of cell phones, saying Tuesday that they couldn't prove a terrorism link.

The dismissal, in a one-page court document, came the day after Washington County Prosecutor James Schneider said he didn't have enough evidence to present the felony charges to a grand jury.

Ali Houssaiky and Osama Sabhi Abulhassan, both of Dearborn, Mich., left prison after paying a reduced bond on their remaining misdemeanor counts of falsification.

"We know it was just a matter of time. We were just hoping it wouldn't be forever," Abulhassan said. "Everybody knew we were innocent. We knew we were innocent."

The falsification counts stem from allegations that the men gave police false information about why they bought the phones.

Federal authorities told local law enforcement last winter to be on the lookout for people buying large numbers of prepaid cell phones.

In addition to the arrests in Ohio, three Texas men were charged in Michigan this month after nearly 1,000 cell phones were found in a van they were driving.

In the Michigan case, the FBI said Monday that it had no indication that the men had any ties to know terrorist groups. Local prosecutors, however, were standing by the charges. They have not said what they believe the men intended to do with the phones, though officials have said the phones can be used as detonators and the Coast Guard increased its patrols of the 5-mile-long Mackinac Bridge.

Supporters of the arrested men have said their only purpose was to make money by reselling the phones and that they were targeted because of their Arab backgrounds.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; US: Michigan; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: abulhassan; catocell; cellphone; cellphones; charge; dearborn; dropped; fbi; houssaiky; jihadinamerica; mackinac; nonterroristattack; ohio; terror; wot
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To: grobdriver

And who would pay more than retail for cell phones with the batteries and chargers removed?


21 posted on 08/15/2006 11:15:39 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia (Democrats, Euroweenies, and the MSM--the Axis of Appeasement)
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To: roses of sharon

clinton holdovers, perhaps... re: the prosecutors


22 posted on 08/15/2006 11:16:03 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: NormsRevenge

The Michigan cell phone case is headed in the same direction:

Terror case coming apart

http://www.mlive.com/news/sanews/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1155648027145100.xml&coll=9

In the Ohio case they found airport and flight info in the car. In the Michigan case they found pictures of the Macinaw Bridge. Nothing to see here....?


23 posted on 08/15/2006 11:18:45 AM PDT by freeperfromnj
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To: xcamel
these panty-waist prosecutors keep it up, we're all going to die.

It's not the prosecutors, it's the FBI. The local prosecutors want to charge them, but the big-shot feds come in and say "no evidence here" and get the guys released. From the article:

In the Michigan case, the FBI said Monday that it had no indication that the men had any ties to know terrorist groups. Local prosecutors, however, were standing by the charges.

24 posted on 08/15/2006 11:25:09 AM PDT by Azzurri
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To: msnimje

Exactly. There are other ways they could charge them. Unfortunately tax evasion and operating without a license do not rise to the level of holding someone in prison without a bond :(


25 posted on 08/15/2006 11:26:40 AM PDT by ritewingwarrior (Where does free speech end, and sedition begin?)
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To: grobdriver
Exactly my thoughts when I heard the smarmy excuse after they were caught! Geeeesh!
26 posted on 08/15/2006 11:28:56 AM PDT by YouGoTexasGirl
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To: Azzurri
Local prosecutors, however, were standing by the charges.

Good for the prosecutors! The FBI has its head up in a very DARK place. Hope they like it there.

27 posted on 08/15/2006 11:31:00 AM PDT by madison10
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To: madison10

We can just hope that enough of them will be watched and then caught again, only this time w/knowledge of who/what/when/where/why/how.

They are Muslims. They will overreach.


28 posted on 08/15/2006 11:33:41 AM PDT by reformedliberal ("Eliminate the mullahs and Islam shall disappear in fifty years." Ayatollah Khomeini)
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To: Truth-The Anti Spin
"What, think these guys aren't being watched? Puh-lease. "
If they were, don't you think the NY Times would tell us?
29 posted on 08/15/2006 11:35:46 AM PDT by Abcdefg
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To: Azzurri

But they could indict a ham sandwich on a hate crime charge for being being "offensive to muslims".....


30 posted on 08/15/2006 11:36:26 AM PDT by xcamel (Press to Test, Release to Detonate)
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To: NormsRevenge
I have just three questions:

Have these clowns violated the terms of their visas?
Are they muslim?

Why have they not been deported?

31 posted on 08/15/2006 11:44:44 AM PDT by Publius6961 (MSM: Israelis are killed by rockets; Lebanese are killed by Israelis.)
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To: NormsRevenge
misdemeanor counts of falsification.

What does this mean?

32 posted on 08/15/2006 11:44:55 AM PDT by Freee-dame
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To: voletti
By which time these scumbags would already be in pakistan, or iran, safely outta reach of US law.

At which point the victims' families can make it their life's mission to deal with the imbeciles who allowed it to happen.

Sign me up to help.

33 posted on 08/15/2006 11:46:48 AM PDT by Publius6961 (MSM: Israelis are killed by rockets; Lebanese are killed by Israelis.)
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To: Freee-dame

Not sure, may be part of the purchase process , asking if it is for resale or such or personal use only as part of any contract for a carrier may be involved, just a guess.


34 posted on 08/15/2006 11:49:06 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: NormsRevenge

Deport them.


35 posted on 08/15/2006 11:49:34 AM PDT by WorkerbeeCitizen (We need a maintenance Crusade)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
And who would pay more than retail for cell phones with the batteries and chargers removed?

Nobody, but if you then sell the batteries and chargers separately it's conceivable that you could end up with a profit. There's a good chance the feds are still keeping an eye on these guys, but their story isn't implausible on its face.

36 posted on 08/15/2006 11:56:17 AM PDT by ThinkDifferent
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To: NormsRevenge
Ali Houssaiky and Osama Sabhi Abulhassan, both of Dearborn, Mich., left prison after paying a reduced bond on their remaining misdemeanor counts of falsification.

Whew!! I feel safer already knowing that they couldn't link these two to any known terror group. They couldn't do that to the 9/11 terrorists either . . . . . . . . . until after the fact.
37 posted on 08/15/2006 11:58:40 AM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

Yeah. This is crazy. Is our system so broken that we can do nothing until there is an attack? It would seem so.


38 posted on 08/15/2006 12:29:32 PM PDT by kjo
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To: DustyMoment

Did it ever occur to them that they are new recruits without a trail? You don't have to be a genius to figure that out.


39 posted on 08/15/2006 12:35:46 PM PDT by freeperfromnj
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To: kjo

Basically, there's no evidence they did anything more than lie to the cops about why they bought the phones.

The judge looked at the evidence the prosecutor had and told him to take a hike.

Of course the local DA is sticking with his claims, he's elected and doesn't want to look stupid for making wild accusations with what looks like no evidence. This was he can look 'tough on terrorism'.

And a lot of people here jumped on the bandwagon with no evidence. Real independent thinkers, a lot of you.

When I see a government spokesman make wild claims about something, I wait and see how it plays out. How many times has the government lied to us, and yet people will just suck it up like mothers milk. You all believe Ronnie Earle's claims about Tom D.? Use the same skepticism here, or is it okay to railroad people with "funny" names?

I suspect the market in reselling prepaid cell phones just took a tumble, anyhow.

--R.


40 posted on 08/15/2006 12:42:11 PM PDT by RustMartialis
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