Posted on 03/28/2003 5:57:50 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
The outspoken former stepfather of an Army soldier accused in an attack on other soldiers in Kuwait has been arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Federal agents arrested William Muhammad Bilal, formerly known as William Harris Matthews, 52, 5525 S. Afton Parkway, late Thursday afternoon.
Bilal is the former stepfather of Sgt. Asan Akbar, who is accused of killing two officers and wounding 14 soldiers Sunday at a 101st Airborne Division command center in Kuwait. Akbar allegedly tossed grenades into several tents, including the tactical operations center, during the war with Iraq.
Agents seized several guns from Bilal's home, but they declined to elaborate on the number or types of weapons recovered.
Bilal was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, where he remained late Thursday. No bond had been set.
He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted.
The arrest resulted from a tip to Crimestoppers from a woman who claimed to have seen weapons in Bilal's home, U.S. Attorney David Dugas said in a news conference.
Dugas said Bilal surrendered peacefully, leaving an unspecified place of business.
"The arrest was made away from his home," Dugas said. "Then he was taken to his home, at which time the weapons were discovered."
Bilal was convicted of aggravated rape and sentenced to life in prison in 1970, but Gov. Edwin Edwards commuted his sentence to 32 years in 1979, according to an affidavit filed by ATF Special Agent Marc J. Delpit.
Bilal's parole expired in March 2001, but under Louisiana law, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm for 10 years from that date.
Bilal was married for five years to Akbar's mother, Quran Bilal, during which time the family lived in Baton Rouge and Akbar attended Capitol Middle School. The family also lived in Moreno Valley, Calif. Both Bilal and his former wife have said in interviews that they believe Akbar is the target of discrimination because of his race and his religion.
Akbar, formerly known as Mark Fidel Kools, has been a Muslim since he was 5 or 6 years old, Bilal has said.
On the night of the grenade attack in Kuwait, Bilal told WBRZ-TV that another son, Ismail, left the Air Force after Sept. 11, 2001, because he was "attacked" for being a Muslim.
Akbar told Ismail Bilal that "he did not want to fight in this war, he didn't want to go over there," Bilal said.
Dugas said Bilal's arrest should not be considered political retribution for his outspokenness to the media.
"I don't know if his exposure might have precipitated the call (to Crimestoppers) or not," Dugas said. "It had nothing to do with our attention to the matter. Our investigation started when someone called in."
But some in the Muslim community question that contention.
"Having illegal weapons is not right," said Imam Abed Mubarak of the Islamic Center of Baton Rouge. "No one should carry illegal weapons. But why him? Why now? It probably is because he spoke out. I'm not saying his arrest is wrong, but it was meant this way at this stage of time. If he really has illegal weapons, that's wrong, and justice should take its course. But the irony about it is that it's him now."
Imam Jehad Mahmoud, also with the center, declined to comment on the arrest.
"I hate to think of things coming to this point, where events have to be explained politically, or from a religious aspect," he said. "I wish America would refrain from going into that route. Law-enforcement agents need to do what they have to do."
Bilal apparently has had three encounters with law enforcement over the years -- including one in February in which he was accused of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and stalking. The two women who reported the incident to the Sheriff's Office failed to sign the warrant, so no arrest was made.
In August, the Louisiana Pardon Board unanimously denied a request from Bilal for a pardon with restoration of firearms.
According to the affidavit, however, witnesses Sheila Hilton and Shantrice Hilton described seeing "several long guns" in the living room and a nickel-plated revolver in the kitchen on numerous occasions. The affidavit identifies Sheila Hilton as the individual who reported Bilal to authorities.
Jerry Dennis, resident agent in charge of the Baton Rouge ATF field office, said the arrest was an example of the success of Project Exile/Project Safe Neighborhoods, a five-year-old program designed to take felons with firearms and stick them in federal prison and away from the neighborhoods where they committed their crimes.
Six law-enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation, including the ATF, the FBI, Louisiana State Police, the Sheriff's Office, Baton Rouge Police Department and the U.S. Army's Criminal Investigative Division.
Nice family{sarcasim}
Add in the serial killer, and we're getting all sorts of national recognition down here...
"The arrest was made away from his home," Dugas said. "Then he was taken to his home, at which time the weapons were discovered."
What a difference a change of administration makes. Wouldn't it have been nice if they took down David Koresh the same way. All those kids would not have had to die.
But the BATF needed to have a big dog-and-pony-show frontal assault before the next budget cycle.
Note to self: Send thank-you note to former Gov. Edwin Edwards. I'm going to assume that he is a Democrat, since the stories in the CNN archive on his trial and conviction for racketeering do not mention a political party affiliation...
I wonder who he was named after? Seems to me he was probably indoctrinated since conception.
He is (or was while in office).
Edwards is a Democrat and he is in prison.
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