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.

[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

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[GailA]

This one is new to me...doesn't sound good.

[snippy_about_it]

INS verified that the information was valid and released the man.

Incredible.

[Travis McGee]

BTTT!

[Clay Moore]

No I do not remember any mention of the operation or non operation of the sprinkler system.

Unless it is a deluge system, (wasn't) the system is only plumbed for a certain number of heads to operate. They are fusible heads. There is a OS&Y valve at the sprinkler riser that will turn off the system. The valve will be either chained open or monitored by the fire alarm panel as a supervisory signal, or both. Normal operating procedures for the FD should have been to get big lines down and to begin pumping the system. A building this high would have had boost pumps at various levels to up the pressure. Head pressure for water is considered to be 0.5 psi per foot. A single stage fire pump will make maybe 300 lbs/sq and still give a usable amount of water.

What I am saying is that #1 the system was no doubt overwhelmed in addition to being breached. #2 A person who knew what they were doing could go a long way toward making sure the fire was big.

[Victoria Delsoul]

What Emerson finds most troubling about the case, is the mysterious death of Katherine Smith, the woman who died in a car fire just days after she was accused of selling the licenses. "I don't have any evidence at this point that any of the five men are directly tied to terrorist groups, but clearly the convergence of what happened raises a lot of questions," said Emerson. Questions, Emerson says, the F-B-I is working hard to answer.

Thanks. Good news.

[OKCSubmariner]

Your reply #69 is a great catch Shermy.

Emerson talks to and testifies before Cogress fairly frequently and I believe the opinions and concerns he expressed in the article you posted will get back to not only the FBI (through his close associate former FBI agent Buck Revell) but to Congressman and Senators on the Intel Committees.

[Shermy]

I'm posting on this thread my updated template on the Tenn License Scandal. And addiditions or suggestions welcome.

______________

Feb. 7

Six Charged in Tenn. License Plot [Courtesy of the Tennessee DemocRAT Party]

Feb. 8 (for comedic relief)

Dri ver license fraud case here is a rare incident, state says

Feb. 11

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

Tennessee finds a cost to easing driver's license rules Some other states, airlines no longer accept (Boston Globe)

Feb. 12

Feds fear license examiner is dead - Memphis Woman's co-defendants tied to 9/11, judge told

Feb. 13:

Body in car identified as license examiner - Update on Memphis, Tennesse License Examiner

Feb. 14

TENN DRIVER LICENSE SCANDAL: FLAMING DEATH NO ACCIDENT, FBI SAYS

TENN DRIVER LICENSE SCANDAL: FLAMING DEATH NO ACCIDENT, FBI SAYS (II)

Flaming death no accident, FBI says - Gasoline found on clothes of license examiner

Feb. 15

New York Times (with Pics of car) F.B.I. Says Arson Killed Woman Accused in License Scheme

Sm ith led low-impact life until arrest, fiery end (Not a thread)

Images of the burned car owned by Katherine Smith * alternate title: How Arabs Kill Witnesses

FBI Agent: Arson Killed Key Suspect (driver's license examiner accused of supplying terrorists)

Feb.16

License suspect had WTC repair pass, but Port Authority did its own work [Tennessee License Scandal]

TE NN DRIVER LICENSE SCANDAL: FLAMING DEATH NO ACCIDENT, FBI SAYS

Feb. 18:

Mourners remember the good deeds of license examiner, not how she died

Feb. 20

State Immigrant I.D. Llicense for Disaster, Foes Say [Tennessee License Scandal - Business as Usual]

Terror in Tennessee? (Front Page magazine)

Feb. 22

Terrorism expert [Steven Emerson] monitors the Mid-South (WMC-TV Memphis 2/23)

*TN License Scandals

Pics of License Scam suspects

Color Pics of Suspects

Other Stories

I-70 Traffic Stop Turns Up $300K In Cash, Undocumented Jordanian (Al Qaida Operative?) [2/22 Utah]

Licenses for undocumented aliens steer legislators both ways - Driving: INS official says passage of bill would make deportation more difficult; proponents say it would give sense of identity (Kansas 2/20)

***Grass roots, politicians differ on immigration (2/14 plus Grover Norquist Barf Alert)

FBI investigating ‘‘mass destruction’’ inquiry (2/21 Somali asks U. of Memphis professor for weapons advice

GAO Report Finds “Pervasive and Serious Problem”” with Immigration Benefit Fraud Terrorists and Drug Dealers Manipulating Benefits Application Process To Carry Out Criminal Activities

Man on FBI watch list spotted (2/23 Iraqi, with Saddam Connections, in truck with OK lic. Plates, Picking up chemicals in Michigan. Egads!)

And don’t forget the stories about the Doctor who “fell” off a Memphis bridge!

[JDGreen123]

Thanks for the work! I forwarded the info and links to Phil Valentine (local conservative talk host): Phil Valentine

He is compiling such lists of stories about this incident from papers around the US. I know that he will appreciate your work as well!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the information!

[Lion's Cub]

Your 67- Maybe he walked into the wrong university. Good thing you sent honway's info to the FBI...

Also, FYI, note Emerson's interest.

[Lion's Cub]

Thanks for the info.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for all of your work trackiing this very dangerous individual: Dr. Muhammad Shafi.

His educational background places him in a special danger rating to America.

Please add me to your bump list on this fanatic and the other Islamic fanatics you have been tracking.

[honway]

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b71b20b06f1.htm

Firm ran security at OKC

Three men from Pakistan were arrested in the OKC bombing case: Assad Siddiqy, Anis Siddiqy, (sometimes spelled Siddique) and Mohammed Chafi(sometimes spelled Shafi). I have been trying to find out what happened to them with little success. In the link above are articles describing their arrest.

[honway]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mphs-Dawah/messages

Memphis Dawah

This appears to be a forum for some extremist Islamic idealogy here in the U.S. If anyone has any interest or time to read through the messages since 9-11 there might be something worth adding to this thread.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for this link. I get a little lost where they try to tie in the Sikh's to this violence. Maybe this was intentional by the Muslems a few years ago.

[honway]

From: Morgan Abudu Mukarram
Date: Mon Jan 28, 2002 5:15 pm
Subject: Bin Laden Stirs Struggle on Meaning of Jihad

As salaamualaikum mu'minun, can I get some opinions or feedback on this article? Also, in this article as in many others it seems to be the common opinion that the Muslims are the aggressors. Is all history past and present of America's and others aggression towards Muslims to be forgotten?

Bin Laden Stirs Struggle on Meaning of Jihad

By JOHN F. BURNS
January 27, 2002

AZHAKHEL BALA, Pakistan, Jan. 20 — Little in the manner of Ijaz Khan Hussein betrays the miseries he saw as a volunteer in the war in Afghanistan.

Mr. Khan, a college-trained pharmacist, joined the jihad, or holy war, like thousands of other Pakistanis who crossed over into Afghanistan. He worked as a medical orderly near Kabul, shuttling to the front lines, picking up bodies and parts of bodies. Of 43 men who traveled with him to Afghanistan by truck in October, he says, 41 were killed.

Now with the Taliban and Al Qaeda routed, have Mr. Khan and other militants finished with holy war? Mr. Khan, at least, said he had not. "We went to the jihad filled with joy, and I would go again tomorrow," he said. "If Allah had chosen me to die, I would have been in paradise, eating honey and watermelons and grapes, and resting with beautiful virgins, just as it is promised in the Koran. Instead, my fate was to remain amid the unhappiness here on earth."

This is one example of what is posted on the Memphis Dawah forum.

[honway]

I get a little lost where they try to tie in the Sikh's to this violence

The only tie in to the Sikh's was that a Sikh company based out of New Mexico had the contract to provide security for the Murrah building. The company was never properly registered with the Oklahoma Secretary of State to do business in Oklahoma. That same unheard of security company has grown since 1995 to provide security at a majority of U.S. federal courthouses. It is simply a side story to the OKC Bombing case since one could say when the bomb exploded, the people being paid to provide security for the building had failed the taxpayers. However, AKAL has since grown to be one of the major contractors for security for the federal government. I only mention the link because that is where the information on Siddiqy and Chafi is.