Posted on 09/19/2002 11:52:38 AM PDT by meia
Earlier reports from authorities said that Kambiz Butt ran the tollbooth without paying.
Thursday, September 19, 2002
By BRIGID O'MALLEY, bmomalley@naplesnews.com
The Collier County Sheriff's Office has voided the ticket given to the driver of one of the cars stopped on Alligator Alley last week during a terrorism scare, saying the tollkeeper Wednesday recalled taking the $1.50 from the man.
"She was very nervous at the time," said Collier Sheriff Don Hunter.
He said the tollbooth attendant, who had earlier given a sworn statement that the driver hadn't paid, had spotted the tag on the front of the car which had been given as part of a description to all tollkeepers in the state as a car that needed to be stopped by authorities.
"She became flustered and didn't recall," Hunter said. He said it was a Car Max tag on the front of the car that caught her attention.
Earlier reports from authorities said that Kambiz Butt, 25, the driver of one of the two cars stopped on the Alley on Friday to be checked out for a possible terrorism-related incident, ran the tollbooth without paying.
Alligator Alley was shut down in both directions for 17 hours, and the men, who were headed to Larkin Hospital in South Miami to start work as medical students, were detained between 11:45 p.m. Thursday and 6 p.m. Friday while they were questioned by local, state and federal authorities.
Eunice Stone reported to police that they'd been in a Shoney's restaurant in Calhoun, Ga., on Thursday morning and were laughing about the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and saying that another, even worse, attack was set for Sept. 13, the day they were stopped at Mile Marker No. 92 on the interstate. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation issued the alert.
All three men, Ayman Gheith, 27, Omar Choudhary, 23, and Butt, who are of Middle Eastern descent, have denied talking about Sept. 11 or any attacks on Miami. They've appeared on news shows around the nation since the stop.
But a Collier deputy, Darrel Kehne, on special patrol, looking for the cars and their occupants, spotted the two cars and stopped them. A Collier sheriff's bomb detection dog alerted on the rear of both cars and that brought dozens of officers to the Alley.
Authorities after the daylong investigation, which included a search by a bomb-detecting robot, helicopters bearing special equipment and a thorough scouring of the cars, determined the incident was a hoax. The searches turned up no signs of explosives or bomb-making material.
Deputies, after interviewing the tollkeeper after the stop, wrote a ticket — the fine is $100 plus $26 in court costs — to Butt.
But the videotape at the tollbooth on Interstate 75 also shows a transaction between Butt and the tollbooth attendant, Hunter said. The ticket should be officially voided today, Hunter said.
Hunter said investigators showed the tollkeeper, who'd already given a sworn statement saying Butt's car had run the tollbooth, the video which logs the transaction Wednesday.
"He reached his hand out. She reached her hand out," Hunter said. "There appears to have been a transaction. Then she excitedly waves her hand toward the east. We believe she was trying to flag us down."
Butt contended that he paid the toll, Hunter said.
"It would not be fair not to check it out," he said.
He said the second car did stop and ask if Butt had paid the toll.
Hunter described the toll taker as "nervous" at the time.
"She said she wasn't scared," he said.
David Kubiliun, one of the attorneys representing the men, said they are pleased the ticket was voided.
"My understanding is that it was voided because videotape showed Mr. Butt did pay the toll," Kubiliun said. "He's very pleased. We're all gratified."
Hunter speculated the attorneys will try to take on other aspects of the stop.
"I'm sure their attorneys will say, 'If this was wrong, what else was wrong?' " Hunter said. "But I'm firm on the rest of it."
He said investigators are still running down other parts of the probe, which he didn't disclose.
"We haven't reached any dead ends," Hunter said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
I agree. If it was a joke then it was a tasteless and HORRIBLE joke, however, I do know many college students " Americans, my own people", that are prone to being and saying insensitive things and making complete asses of themselves.
You are skipping over some posts Dr.
All I said (earlier) was I hope the Feds stay on these punks like white on rice until THE WAR'S OVER!
Thanks for taking the time to check out my background.
Gee, I didn't realize one needed to have a proper resume to voice an opinion. Especially being an Iowan stacked up against someone from a huge metropolitan city like Toledo!!
I have plenty to be concerned about considering I fly every other week to the west coast. But I'll be damned if I am going to let these terrorist bastards make me fear my own shadow. In fact, I flew back from San Diego on 9/11/03. Screw 'em.
My problem is that limited resources are being wasted on these three who now are obviously not terrorist. I’m sure the real terrorists are pleased as punch that ‘good’ Americans like you continue to spend so much time worrying about these three jerks.
And I'm just as sure that they are tickled to death by good folks taking the side of these smirking kafi'ed punks against a a conscientious American, who weighed ALL possibilities, and then still opted on the side safety despite anticipating the reaction of courageous sophisticates like yourself.
Your degree wouldn't be in time travel would it?
Just kidding.
Your degree wouldn't be in time travel would it?
Just kidding.
I've been discovered!!! Okay, I'm actually Dr. Who. I've been observing you all for quite some time now. Look for it soon in an upcoming episode.
Damn typo... Damn fingers... Wait, no, terrorists have inserted an insidious virus into my PC.... ya, that's it! ;)
As usual you miss the point!
I don't have a major problem with Eunice calling the Feds. I think she over reacted, but I have no problem with her erring on the side of being safe.
My problem is that even though these three have obviously been shown to be three turkeys and not three terrorists, people such as yourself want the Feds to spend countless hours "sticking to them like rice", while more valid targets go unchecked.
And when you have to resort to lowbrow tactics like name calling such as "courageous" and "sophisticate", I know I’ve won my argument.
You must have been "member sinced" a few times. ;)
They also lied to Linda Vester about how they answered LE questions. Sheriff Hunter said that two of the three flat out refused to answer any questions and the third one only answered any questions with more questions.
When Vester interviewed them, they said, emphatically, that they answered every single question that the officers asked while they were being held. Vester challenged them on this, telling them what the sheriff said about them not answering questions, and the three suddenly became quiet. Then their attorney chimed in and said that they had the right to be uncooperative because they have a consitutional right to not allow their cars to be searched.
Nothing that I've listed above was relayed by the media; they were all statements spoken by the parties involved -- either direct quotes in articles or interviews on television.
Oh, and all of Eunice's statements have been consistent.
And the fact that these three items are apparently not true speaks in no way to their innocence in perpetrating a hoax.
Wasn't someone convicted of such a thing with an anthrax hoax?
I think USC 18 Sec 844(e) might possibly cover these actions, if proven to be true.
Richard Jewell.
Good grief. Of course their race doesn't prove that they're lying. THEIR CONFLICTING STORIES PROVE THAT THEY'RE LYING. Sheesh.
Or it indicated that explosives had indeed been in the car, but had been removed at some point prior to the cars being pulled over.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.