Posted on 08/09/2007 6:57:23 AM PDT by STARWISE
FBI agents are reviewing surveillance video from a Wal-Mart store in connection with the arrest in South Carolina of two University of South Florida students, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said.
Agents also have seized a computer from the family home of one of the students, said a local advocate in contact with the family.
Youssef Megahed, 21, and Ahmed Mohamed, 24, both of whom are enrolled at the university, were charged Monday under South Carolina statutes with possession of an incendiary or explosive device. Both were being held in a Berkeley County jail Wednesday. Mohamed's bail was set at $500,000 and Megahed's at $300,000.
Prosecutors in South Carolina said the men were carrying a pipe bomb and pipe-bomb paraphernalia when they were pulled over for speeding there Saturday about seven miles from the Goose Creek Naval Weapons Station.
Mohamed said in court they were carrying fireworks. Megahed's family told the Tampa office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations that Megahed is restoring a car and had tools and oil canisters in the trunk.
Forensic tests from the FBI are pending to determine what the trunk's contents were. The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office detonated what it thought was suspicious.
Sharon Weber, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, confirmed today that the FBI has picked up surveillance footage from "one of our stores" but declined to elaborate, citing the open investigation.
Ahmed Bedier, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said FBI agents seized a computer from the Tampa home of Megahed's family. The family includes Megahed's parents, brother and sister, who through Bedier declined an interview. The family wants to speak to Megahed before talking to reporters, Bedier said.
The FBI declined to comment.
Usually one would take those items out of a trunk and put their LUGGAGE in there for a vacation trip.
Quite the contrary. I'm suggesting that if they were transporting fireworks (as the family, I guess, is claiming), then the cop likely wouldn't have given them a second look.
I'm guessing here - but I'm guessing that something must have been out of the ordinary to get the cop's attention. Otherwise, these guys would have gotten a speeding ticket (or not, 15 over is marginal) and gone along their merry way.
I'd be curious as to what's not being published. There was something about them closing up a laptop when the cop came up, and that's what triggered his interest. Now, there are 100 reasons why you'd be using a laptop in a car. There's likely 100 more why you'd not want a cop to see....Looking at porn, listening to music, looking for wifi hotspots, maybe just didn't want the distraction with a cop standing over you. Who knows. But, from what I've read, these guys stink.
Fleeing the country seems like a perfectly normal response when one's roommate gets nailed for speeding.
You’ll be able to tell if it is Muslim-extremist related.
The story will disappear.
But, there's something off about the whole situation. To me, at least, it sounds like something or other triggered the cop's antenna, so he pulled them over for speeding, and then things progressed from there.
Goose Creek - Two men are being held in the Berkeley County Detention Center after police find explosive making devices in their car. There are conflicting reports as to the quantity of explosive making materials in that vehicle. FBI (website) reports are saying that there is not believed to be a link to terrorism.No Link to Terrorism
Also, if it turns out that the guys were being followed, or were already under investigation....that adds a whole new dimension to the issue, IMHO.
Ixnay on the Ishtay, lol.
He allowed near-strangers to enter his house ... and cook?
Lots of wiggle room in that statement, even though I'm sure it was intended to give the impression that terrorist activity had been ruled out.
Thank you, for posting that. Right after it hit the news, the first thing officials stated was they didn’t think it was terror related. In fact, there were at least two threads here on FR that mentioned this. Now, I am not sure if it was FBI or Homeland Security, that first stated it. But they sure tried to down play it that first 24 hours.
See the direct FBI quote here.
"At this point, it is too early in the investigation to say there is any link to terrorism," [FBI Spokesman] Kolko said.
See my 53. ABC is incorrect.
regarding the incident in Progresso - I’m truly shaking my head. I had no idea that was going on. Before we build a wall - we need to make sure that doesn’t happen anymore.
Sorry for interrupting the flow, but, mbraynard, who’s FDT?
The cops antenna was definitely up. Here’s an article where HLS director praised the police department.
http://www.abcnews4.com/news/stories/0807/445707.html
That tells me that there is probably something going on other than ‘fireworks’.
“According to a friend they were in the WalMart less than a mile from where they were stopped.”
Perhaps what they bought at the Walmart caused concern among the employees and they called police?
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