Fort Dix Terror Suspect Denied Bail
Agron Abdullahu Told Judge He Wasn't 'A Bad Guy ' 
(CBS/AP) FORT DIX, N.J. A man charged with helping five others plot a terrorist attack on Fort Dix will not be freed on bail, a judge ruled Thursday.
Agron Abdullahu, 24, a legal U.S. resident, is charged with helping illegal immigrants obtain weapons, an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Federal prosecutors on Thursday persuaded U.S. Magistrate Joel Schneider that Abdullahu was likely to flee and would be a serious risk to the community's safety if he was released.
"He was an integral part of the plan to attack Fort Dix," Schneider said as he explained his decision.
Earlier in the hearing, Abdullahu told Schneider he is "not really a bad guy" and asked the judge to allow him to leave jail for house arrest.
Abdullahu, 24, made the plea during a bail hearing at which his father, mother and sister also testified.
"I'm not really a bad guy," Abdullahu told the magistrate. "If I could leave I would definitely go back to my old life ... I would never do anything to harm this country."
Abdullahu and his lawyers sought to persuade Schneider that he would not flee and would not pose a serious risk to the community's safety if he was released.
Abdullahu was arrested on May 7, the same day that authorities rounded up five other men -- Ibrahim Shnewer, 22; Serdar Tatar, 23; Dritan "Anthony" or "Tony" Duka, 28; Shain Duka, 26; and Eljvir "Elvis" Duka, 23.
In a court filing, the government described them as "a radical Islamic and jihadist group." Each of the five is charged with conspiring to kill military personnel, a crime punishable by life in prison.
Authorities said that while Abdullahu joined the others on trips to practice shooting weapons and told them about how to make bombs, he said he did not want to kill people.
At Thursday's hearing, Abdullahu's defense lawyer, public defender Lisa Evans Lewis, said that what the government characterized as weapons training was really a vacation. She said Abdullahu did not know the men were planning an attack.
She said when Abdullahu heard discussion of attacking a military installation, he spoke against it.
"He made it clear he was not down with that program," Lewis said.
Family members described Abdullahu as someone who worked six or seven days a week, often for 10 to 12 hours, paid the bills for the family, and even bought his 21-year-old sister a car.
His father, Sejdulla Abdullahu, said no one in the family speaks Arabic. He said the family was not religious and that the only religious ceremonies they took part in were at funerals.
Abdullahu lives in Buena Vista Township, between Philadelphia and Atlantic City. He's an ethnic Albanian who was born in the former Yugoslavia.
As a 16-year-old, Abdullahu came to Fort Dix with his family as refugees from Kosovo. After settling nearby, he became a baker at the ShopRite in Williamstown, where he worked until his arrest. His lawyer has acknowledged Abdullahu is a gun enthusiast, but has also said he enjoys renovating cars.
Raymond Million, a former boss and friend who was willing to post the equity of his home as part of a bail package, also spoke on Abdullahu's behalf Thursday.
"You don't find a man that has the character that he has," Million said.
No comments:
Post a Comment