Free Republic

NEW YORK (AP) — An Indiana jewelry dealer arrested after trying to check his gun at the Empire State Building took a plea deal Tuesday that will spare him jail time in a case that got attention from gun-rights advocates, veterans and a former governor. Ryan Jerome, who said he had tried to act responsibly but misinterpreted New York's stringent gun laws, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor weapon-possession charge. The former Marine from South Bend, Ind., will have to complete 10 hours of community service and pay a $1,000 fine. "I'm happy with the outcome," said Jerome, 28, who had...

Two men from Pakistan and Sri Lanka were held without bail Friday on charges that they smuggled Middle Easterners into the United States through third countries for $20,000 each. Iqbal Munawar and Chelliah Sri Kajamukam were arrested late Thursday at Miami International Airport on charges filed in New York, federal authorities said.They made federal court appearances Friday and were ordered to return to court for bond hearings Thursday.An Indian businessman led the smuggling ring, which illegally flew people to Miami and New York and carried them to the United States by boat, FBI agent Timothy Ryan wrote in a court...

Suspected Terrorist Arrested In Florida Iqbal Munawar Arrested In Alleged Immigration Scheme UPDATED: 3:25 p.m. EDT September 14, 2002 MIAMI -- Iqbal Munawar, who was on the FBI's list of suspected terrorists, was jailed as he tried to fly from Miami to Tampa, Fla., Friday morning. Munawar and two other men have been charged with smuggling illegal aliens from the Middle East into the United States on airplanes through Miami International Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport. The suspects are accused of making more than $100,000 in the smuggling operation, selling more than 1,000 false visas to illegal immigrants. Miami-Dade...

The Canadian Press VANCOUVER — SNIPPET: "Khaled Nawaya, a flight instructor, was arrested by Canada Border Services agents when they found $800,000 in gold coins and other currency in his car and pockets on Oct. 6, as he crossed into Surrey, B.C., near Vancouver." SNIPPET: "He'd been living in the U.S. since he was 17 and had gained approval for permanent residency in Canada. Besides the gold, Canadian agents found a ring bearing the insignia of Hezbollah, which has been listed as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government since 2002. They also seized 9/11 conspiracy theory-themed DVDs and a...

COVINGTON, La. – A group of teenagers working on a school project which had them wearing ski masks and carrying weapons ended with arrests when the Covington Police and a sniper responded to the scene of a fake robbery, Covington Police spokesman Capt. Jack West said Tuesday.Monday afternoon, Covington Police received a call from a witness saying two teenagers donning ski masks picked up an assault rifle and a pistol out of the trunk of a car and entered Expressions in Gold, a jewelry store, police said. While the witness was on the phone, the teenagers, while inside the store,...

FBI and INS Raid Dozens of Jewelry Stores in Search for Terrorist Financiers and Immigration Violators WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal investigators are conducting raids nationwide on jewelry stores owned by Pakistanis and others from the Middle East, hoping to break up fronts for terrorist groups or their financial backers, U.S. officials say. The raids have taken place in several cities over the past two weeks, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and New York. About 75 jewelry stores have been raided, said a law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Tariq Hussain, 27, a recently discharged U.S. Army mechanic whose Intrigue...

A Pakistani man who spent hours photographing the World Trade Center days before it was destroyed was sentenced to six months in jail for immigration violations exactly one year after suspicions over the pictures prompted his arrest. Ashar Butt, 22, acknowledged that he entered the country illegally last year using an altered British passport, but his lawyers said he only came to the United States to start a new life. "He was an innocent individual taking pictures," said his attorney, Anser Ahmad. He added that Butt has already spent a year in jail and is eligible for release within a...

Bush Administration Criticizes Jeweler Over Letter Criticizing Plans for Mine Mar 25, 2004 By Nicholas K. Geranios/ Associated Press Writer/ SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - The jeweler Tiffany & Co. is publicly opposing plans for a silver and copper mine beneath a wilderness area in Montana, prompting a forceful response Thursday from the Bush administration. Tiffany officials paid for an open letter published Wednesday in The Washington Post that asked Forest Service chief Dale Bosworth, whose agency has approved the mine, to block construction. The mine would require boring three miles under the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area near the Montana-Idaho border....