Posted on 02/15/2006 8:20:47 AM PST by AZRepublican
Jury selection started yesterday for the trial of an ice cream vendor and his son who are charged in a federal terrorism investigation.
Umer Hayat, 47, and Hamid Hayat, 23, are among five members of the Sacramento, Calif. area's Pakistani community arrested last summer after a nearly three-year terrorism investigation. The others, two local imams and a son of one of the religious leaders, have since been deported to Pakistan on immigration violations.
The case has had people in suspense in Lodi, Calif., a quiet agricultural city just south of Sacramento that is known for its wines and annual grape festival.
"Everyone was wondering, is there a terrorist cell?" Mayor Susan Hitchcock said.
Hamid Hayat is charged with lying to the FBI about attending a terrorism camp in Pakistan in 2003 and 2004. His father is charged with lying when he denied his son had attended such a camp. Both have pleaded not guilty.
The Hayats, who are U.S. citizens, will be tried together but with separate juries because prosecutors say their statements implicate each other.
They were arrested in June shortly after returning from Pakistan. If convicted, the younger Hayat faces up to 31 years in prison, while the elder Hayat could receive eight years in prison.
Prosecutors say Hamid Hayat failed a lie-detector test and admitted attending one terrorist camp for three days in 2000 and a second for three to six months in 2003 and 2004. FBI agents say they found a book titled "Virtues of Jihad" in his bedroom.
Authorities claim he planned to attack hospitals and supermarkets in the United States.
In interviews and court testimony, relatives say Hamid Hayat was sent to Pakistan to find purpose and a wife. By the time he returned to the United States, he was married and arranging to bring his new wife home.
Defense attorneys say their clients were pressured by investigators and should have had attorneys and interpreters present when they were interrogated.
On the plus side, all his flavors are guaranteed to satisfy.
They should have stuck with ice cream.
They got stuck in Lodi again.
For those that may say, "They are just Ice Cream vendors". Remember those who said, "O.J. couldn't be guilty, he was too good a running back". Stuck on Stupid.
I'm your ice cream man, shoot me when you're passin' by...
Iraqi Road
Anthrax Ripple
Mohammedan Crunch
Nuclear Surprise
Danish Treat (no ice cream on top, just the cone)
Hayat faces up to 31 years in prison
One year for each flavor?
I'm nearing 70 -- and it looks hopeless.. I must be a bigot.....
Semper Fi
Haven't checked the case, but likely charged with providing material support.
Nope - it was making false statements. The same thing Libby is charged with.
Details here -> http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/08/terror.probe/
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
FBI probes how Bee got documents
The FBI is investigating the source of sealed court documents used by The Bee in stories about a federal probe into possible terrorist activity involving five Lodi Muslims.
Friday, February 10, 2006
A late surprise for Lodi defense
Shortly before the start of trials of Umer Hayat of Lodi and his son Hamid Hayat on terrorism-related charges, federal prosecutors dumped a huge load of tapes and a stack of FBI reports on defense attorneys.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Lodi terror charge added
Government prosecutors upped the ante in the Lodi terrorism case Thursday with a new charge against defendant Hamid Hayat, alleging that he provided material support to terrorists by attending a jihadist training camp in Pakistan.
And Hitler was an artist.
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