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Feds fear license examiner is dead - Memphis Woman's co-defendants tied to 9/11, judge told
GoMemphis.com ^ | February 12, 2002 | Tom Bailey Jr.

Posted on 02/11/2002 10:19:36 PM PST by Shermy

A missing Tennessee driver's license examiner charged with conspiring to provide licenses fraudulently was probably the victim of a "most unusual and suspicious" death, a federal prosecutor said Monday.

Asst. U.S. Atty. Tim Di Scenza also raised the possibility in court that Katherine Smith's five codefendants are involved in terrorism against the United States, citing "connections" to Sept. 11 and the World Trade Center.

A defense attorney, however, protested that the only reason the prosecutor raised the issue of terrorism is that the defendants are from the Middle East.

DiScenza told the court that the same car Smith drove when she was arrested Feb. 5 crashed in Fayette County east of Collierville early Sunday.

Although the gas tank did not explode and the car was only slightly dented from impact with a pole, a fire burned the person inside beyond recognition, FBI agent J. Suzanne Nash testified Monday.

The body had not been identified late Monday, but DiScenza told U.S. Magistrate Judge Diane Vescovo that there was a "great possibility" it was Smith. While authorities have not determined if foul play was involved in Smith's disappearance, Vescovo described the revelations as "upsetting and disturbing."

Nash testified she was called about the wreck at 1 a.m. Sunday. Smith's family told authorities she'd been missing since Saturday night.

Smith was to have appeared Monday for a detention and probable cause hearing in the conspiracy case against her and Khaled Odtllah, 31, of Shelby County; Sakhera Hammad, 24, of New York City, and Mohammed Fares, Mostafa Said Abou-Shahin and Abdelmuhsen Mahmid Hammad, for whom ages and addresses were unavailable.

Smith had been free on bond since Feb. 5. The other five defendants have been detained since their arrest the same day.

The specter of terrorism and Sept. 11 emerged in Monday's hearing when DiScenza asked Nash if documents seized from the suspects had been examined.

She responded that a visitor's pass for the World Trade Center, dated Sept. 5, 2001, was found in Sakhera Hammad's wallet. Hammad told authorities he was a plumber and worked on the center's sprinkler system, Nash said. She also said that Abdelmuhsen Mahmid Hammad and Sakhera Hammad said they were cousins, and worked together in the plumbing business.

Nash also testified that Odtllah drove back from New York City to Memphis on Sept. 11.

But Anthony Helm, attorney for Odtllah, asked Nash, "You certainly don't have any indication any of these fellows is a terrorist, do you?"

"Not at this time, no sir," Nash responded. Helm also argued that Odtllah has many relatives in New York City, suggesting it wouldn't be unusual for him to travel there.

Vescovo continued the hearing until Wednesday for three of the defendants, Abou-Shanin, Abdelmuhsen Mahmid Hammad and Fares, primarily to arrange for an Arabic interpreter. The men told the FBI they are in the country illegally. She went ahead with the hearing for Odtllah and Sakhera Hammad.

Nash testified that Odtllah and Sakhera Hammad led the driver's license scheme. She said Odtllah made the arrangements with his friend Smith, and that Hammad drove the people who bought the fraudulent licenses from New York. She said that Odtllah received $1,000 per license, and that Hammad would receive any amount paid over $1,000.

After two hours of testimony and arguments, Vescovo ordered each man held without bond until their trial. During the hearing, Di Scenza and Nash revealed details of the government's case against the six defendants.

Smith had told authorities after her arrest that Odtllah, who goes by the nickname "Kal," was a friend, and that he had asked her to help him obtain driver's licenses six or seven times before.

Odtllah has lived in Shelby County two and a half years. Until a few months ago, he owned a Phillips 66 gas station. He also buys and sells cars. Nash testified that Smith had said she was buying from Odtllah the champagne-colored 1992 Acura that crashed early Sunday.

Nash testified that Smith had assigned four driver's license numbers in the station's computer system using forms filled out by Odtllah. But only Fares's license showed his correct name. The other three applications contained fictitious and "totally untraceable" names, DiScenza said.

"Those kind of IDs are for further criminal activities," DiScenza said.

Nash said Sakhera Hammad told her he came to Tennessee to get driver's licenses only to help people have identification so they can get jobs.

Sakhera Hammad is from Jordan, but has become a U.S. citizen, said his father, Peter Hansen of New York, who attended the hearing.

Odtllah came to the United States from Jerusalem 13 years ago, Helm said. Nash said Abou-Shahin told authorities he was from Egypt and is a carpenter.

Fares has a Venezuelan passport, but speaks Arabic, DiScenza said.

DiScenza said a key question is whether the alleged license conspiracy had a purpose greater than obtaining driver's licenses so illegal immigrants could find work. Do the circumstances in the case connect the alleged conspiracy to the World Trade Center terrorism, he asked rhetorically.

"Of course not," DiScenza said. "But, you can only have so many coincidences."

Helm argued that the case is not "connected to anything else in the world." He said prosecutors are making the terrorism implications only because the defendants are from the Middle East.

Vescovo said the "completely untraceable" licenses were a great concern to the court. "What further concerns me greatly is that Ms. Smith's vehicle has been burned and a body is inside," she said.

While no testimony Monday links Odtllah or Sakhera Hammad to Smith's disappearance, Vescovo said, "She is connected to the case against them."

- Tom Bailey Jr.: 529-2388

______________


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aliens; hughhewitt; terrorwar; tnlicensescandals
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Also a companion story:

Burned auto casts light on an obscure life

1 posted on 02/11/2002 10:19:37 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Shermy
Looks like a hit.
2 posted on 02/11/2002 10:24:11 PM PST by seeker41
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To: Zog; Blood of Tyrants; nagdt; vikingchick; sabertooth; Dallas; chantal7; Racebannon; falfa...
These two articles update this earlier thread:

WOMAN ARRESTED FOR AIDING ARABS IN DRIVER'S LICENSE SCAM PRESUMED DEAD

3 posted on 02/11/2002 10:25:30 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Shermy
Driver's license???

Check out what I posted a couple of days ago, the service's origins are possibly from the Sudan.

United Nations Driver's License Available (ID for Terrorists? - National Warning)

4 posted on 02/11/2002 10:26:23 PM PST by Spar
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To: Shermy
Perhaps she was killed to keep her from revealing the identities of others she had faked licenses for? Pure speculation, but I wonder if this has any connection to the latest FBI Terrorism Alert?

Take care,

Ruck

5 posted on 02/11/2002 10:29:54 PM PST by Have Ruck - Will Travel
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To: Have Ruck - Will Travel
Occam's Razor...
6 posted on 02/11/2002 10:35:05 PM PST by Michael Barnes
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To: Have Ruck - Will Travel
Perhaps she was killed to keep her from revealing the identities of others she had faked licenses for?

Perhaps Arab terrorists. Maybe some mafia types. She may have been serving many masters. BTW, how do you think these plumbers or whatever knew about her? Just called her up? There must have been a corrupt apparatus set up, maybe beginning with the mafia. I've read in a Sunday New York Times articles how muslim terrorists and mafia types are both in the identity racket.

Also, maybe it's not her body - just burned beyond recognitition to give her a head start in an escape...or perhaps someone else is sending a message or covering up something???

7 posted on 02/11/2002 10:40:08 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Shermy
Sounds like another tobacco related fatality.
8 posted on 02/11/2002 10:43:31 PM PST by Redcloak
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To: Shermy
All in the home state of "Al and Pappy", Gore!

To all my friends in PUGET SOUND

RIS signing out shortly!

9 posted on 02/11/2002 10:44:48 PM PST by RIGHT IN SEATTLE
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To: Redcloak
Sounds like another tobacco related fatality.

You mean she was knocked out, dropped a cigarette, and burned her up completely? Sounds like to me their was plenty of liquid fuel in the cabin. Or something exploded.

10 posted on 02/11/2002 10:46:33 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Grampa Dave; boston liberty
Here's one for you guys.
11 posted on 02/11/2002 10:47:30 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Have Ruck - Will Travel
"Perhaps she was killed to keep her from revealing the identities of others she had faked licenses for?"

Would there be any other purpose?

Time to start checking out every single person to whom she issued a driver's license over, say, the past five years.

Which, I suspect, has already begun...

12 posted on 02/11/2002 10:49:27 PM PST by okie01
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To: Shermy
You mean she was knocked out, dropped a cigarette, and burned her up completely?

Cigarettes are dangerous.

13 posted on 02/11/2002 10:54:27 PM PST by Redcloak
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To: Shermy
wow, the guy admits to being a plumber in the building! Now what could a plumber do inside a building to help it along if it caught fire? A guy working on the sprinkler system?

yep, just a coincidence!

14 posted on 02/11/2002 10:54:31 PM PST by zog
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To: RIGHT IN SEATTLE
Final thoughts before sign-off:

Either these several clowns knew about her via word of mouth, or they were directed to her by someone or some organization, perhaps an terrorist local, mafia, or the equivalent of a immigrant trafficking "Coyote." If so, did they get paid up front by the immigrants, or did she kick back to them part of the $1,000 per license she issued?

15 posted on 02/11/2002 10:57:02 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Shermy
This story is going to be big. The scientist in Memphis going over the bridge, Shelby County, Tenn (the home of Buford Pusser), terriorists, burned bodies, trials, transcripts, all the makings of a movie. The only thing missing is O.J. trying on gloves.

I heard of this 12 hours ago(Hannity radio show), and nothing in media for hours.

Couple it with FBI warning, and I'm folding tin foil for a hat.

16 posted on 02/12/2002 12:26:50 AM PST by Lokibob
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To: Shermy
Although the gas tank did not explode and the car was only slightly dented from impact with a pole, a fire burned the person inside beyond recognition, FBI agent J. Suzanne Nash testified Monday.

So she had some sort of explosives or accelerant in the vehicle with her. Either this was a suicide, in which she crashed and torched herself (which is sort of unlikely), or it was a murder.

If it was a murder, that means the terrorists are still nearby and at large. It also means they were scared enough of what she knew to need to kill her. Hopefully the FBI will be able to unravel this one as quickly as possible.

17 posted on 02/12/2002 12:31:43 AM PST by xm177e2
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To: Lokibob
What reason would they have for murdering the scientist? Maybe they kidnapped him and he refused to cooperate with thim to make weapons, or something...
18 posted on 02/12/2002 12:32:25 AM PST by xm177e2
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To: RIGHT IN SEATTLE
"All in the home state of "Al and Pappy", Gore!"

algore was in Austria on 9-11, x42 was in Australia on 9-11.

Repeat.

algore was in Austria on 9-11, x42 was in Australia on 9-11.

How covenient, just another strange co-inky-dinky? In a long line of strange co-inky-dinkies?

Again.

algore was in Austria on 9-11, x42 was in Australia on 9-11.

Naturally these two cowards would be out of the USA. Who told algore and x42 to make themselves scarce on the date of the attack?

19 posted on 02/12/2002 12:42:06 AM PST by Inge_CAV
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To: Lokibob
Shelby County, Tenn (the home of Buford Pusser)

Shelby County is the county which includes Memphis. Buford Pusser lived in McNairy County TN which is the third county east of Shelby County. The McNairy County seat is the town of Selmer (population 4,327).

20 posted on 02/12/2002 1:41:21 AM PST by NoControllingLegalAuthority
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