California Chemist Ahmed Arrested(possession of radioactive material)

Guardian/AP ^ | 04/05/02 | AP Staff

[LarryLied]

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - A chemist involved in a 1997 laboratory explosion was arrested Thursday after investigators found radioactive materials at his home.

Riad Mohamad Ahmed, 62, was charged with illegal possession of radioactive material after investigators seized three briefcases, a suit and a desk all contaminated with radioactive carbon 14 at his home, said Tori Richards, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney.

The radiation exceeded allowable levels outside a laboratory, but did not pose any danger, authorities said. It's unclear how the items were contaminated.

Ahmed could also face charges of violating probation stemming from the 1997 explosion at a private laboratory in Gardena, said Daniel Wright, Los Angeles County deputy district attorney.

In that incident, Ahmed was working with carbon 14 at the California Bionuclear Corp. when a small explosion and fire occurred, Wright said. The building was contaminated and the federal government later labeled it a Superfund cleanup site.

``It was so contaminated, he had to take the building down to the studs,'' said Walker, who prosecuted Ahmed in that case.

Ahmed was also charged in 1986 with mishandling radioactive, flammable and explosives materials at another lab. He pleaded no contest, served 60 days in jail and was ordered to pay a $15,000 fine.

[Robert_Paulson2]

It appears... the mad bombers are amongst us.

[RightWhale]

I'll bet even Butch Cassidy didn't start out intending to be an outlaw. But sometimes one thing leads to another and one day there you are. Contaminated.

[browardchad]

This guy must glow in the dark. I hope they have him in a lead-lined cell.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

This guy has a real pattern of laboratory accidents. When he goes to prison, I hope he meets with an "accident".

[ccmay]

This guy sounds like a careless idiot, not a terrorist.

Carbon-14 is not one of the isotopes that keeps the FBI awake nights, either. Cesium-137 and various other heavy medical and industrial isotopes, as well as the uranium and plutonium from reactors, are far more worrisome.

-ccm

[Chemist_Geek]

Riad Mohamad Ahmed, 62, was charged with illegal possession of radioactive material after investigators seized three briefcases, a suit and a desk all contaminated with radioactive carbon 14 at his home, said Tori Richards, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney.

The defense will be that everything organic, like leather, wood, and wool, contains ¹⁴C naturally. (grin) They're going to count upon the average jury's scientific illiteracy...

I've heard of people being counselled after lab mishaps, and even being asked to transfer to a theory group, but never have I heard of someone going to jail over "mishandling" in the lab...

[YaYa123]

LOL! I liked this one too!!

[YaYa123]

Especially intriguing that it's the local DA going after this guy, with no mention of the feds even being interested in his long history of laboratory boo boos.

That ditz MA congressman Meekin (sp) may be on to something...and I was laughing at him when he did his little on camera dance about illegal aliens working for in nuclear labs all over the country, I thought he was just getting off on another anti-nuclear industry rant.

[spunkets]

The handlers of some isotopes are licenced by the Energy dept and CA may have their own. There are fed and state rules governing the handling of such dangerous isotopes. A criminal penalty is attached to violation of most of those rules. I wanted to obtain ~100mg of tritium once to make some luminous dots. The requirements for licencing and permits was ridiculous, so I dropped it.

This guy sounds like a careless doofus. Exactly the kind folks want to keep dangerous matl's away from, so everything doesn't get slimed. Fools like that ruin it for the rest of us that like to play, but are tidy.      cough

[LarryLied]

This guy must work with Homer Simpson at Monty Burn's place.

[Southack]

"This guy sounds like a careless idiot, not a terrorist. Carbon-14 is not one of the isotopes that keeps the FBI awake nights, either."

Carbon 14 is also a nice "cover" for graphite (which is used in brick form in the construction of atomic piles for nuclear reactions and the generation of weapons grade uranium and plutonium).

...

"Oh no officer, that's not contaminated graphite from an atomic pile, that's just carbon 14 that I should have never taken from the lab. I'm so very sorry."

I'd love to see a picture of the "carbon 14". If it looks like it could be used in building an atomic pile, then the duck is quacking.

Otherwise, you're probably right that the guy is legit but really careless.

[GrandMoM]

bump

[Bullish]

But, was he racially profiled?

I sure hope so. It's one tool law enforcement has that really works.

[LarryLied]

The least they could do is pull in for questioning anyone with a Muslim sounding name who glows in the dark.

[whadizit]

Ha!Ha!Ha! Just caught your "cough"! That's cute! That stuff must not be too deadly or he wouldn't be walking around after all these yrs., would he? Maybe he is a"dead man walking"? cough

[texlok]

It seems more like we are getting some brainy Darwin award candidates (and older no less).

[Bullish]

How about if we just check them all for illumination?

Couldn't hurt.