Oct 21, 2009 11:19 pm US/Eastern
Sudbury Man Arrested On Terrorism Charges
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Tarek Mehanna
Sudbury Police Dept./WBZ
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Tarek Mehanna was arrested at his parents home on Fairhaven Circle in Sudbury early Wednesday morning.
WBZ
A man from Sudbury was arrested Wednesday on federal terrorism charges for allegedly planning attacks inside and outside the United States – including a plot to attack people at a mall.
THE ARREST
27-year-old Tarek Mehanna was taken into custody at his parents' home in Fairhaven Circle by federal agents and Sudbury police early this morning.
Read: The Criminal Complaint (.pdf)
Read: The Search Warrant (.pdf)
He is charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston.
Watch: US Attorney's Announcement
THE ALLEGED PLOTS
Investigators say Mehanna conspired with others between 2001 and 2008 plotting to "kill, kidnap, maim or injure" people in foreign countries and to kill two members of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government.
He and two others allegedly travelled to the Middle East in 2004 to look for military-type training for attacks on U.S. interests.
But they were rejected from a terrorist training camp because Mehanna was not Pakistani.
"I believe they could not make a contact in Yemen that would accept them into a training camp," said acting U. S. Attorney Michael Loucks.
Watch: Rejected From Terror Training Camp
They also hoped to attack U.S. troops stationed in Iraq.
'SHOOTING PEOPLE AT A MALL'
Prosecutors say Mehanna had "multiple conversations about obtaining automatic weapons and randomly shooting people at a shopping mall."
"The conversations went so far as to discuss the logistics of a mall attack including coordination, weapons needed and the possibility of attacking emergency responders," Loucks said.
"They had discussions regarding how to do it, whether to do it from multiple entrances, what to do when emergency responders arrive," he added.
The plan was scrapped because the men could only get handguns and not the automatic weapons they wanted.
"They determined it was not feasible to go forward," Loucks said.
Prosecutors would not say which malls were targeted.
THE OTHER SUSPECTS
Loucks said Mehanna conspired with two other men: Ahman Abousamra, who authorities say is now in Syria, and an unnamed man, who is cooperating with authorities in the investigation.
Investigators say the men "were inspired by the success of the Washington D.C. area snipers who were successful in terrorizing the public" in 2002.
According to authorities the three did not believe civilians were "innocents because they paid taxes to support the government and because they were non-believers."
NO LINK TO OBAMA VISIT
Loucks would not comment on the timing of Mehanna's arrest, but added it's not linked to President Obama's visit to Boston Friday.
Sudbury is an upscale suburb about 20 miles west of Boston.
"It has nothing whatsoever to do with the President's visit," he told reporters at a news conference.
"We don't believe there are any terrorist cells in this area and any active cells that are plotting and planning at this time," said FBI special agent Warren Bamford.
If convicted Mehanna faces 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
DEFIANT AT HEARING
During a court hearing on Wednesday, Mehanna refused to stand for the judge.
When the judge called him on it, Mehanna said, "I prefer not to stand."
Moments later, after his father told him to get up, Mehanna stood and kicked back the chair he was sitting in.
Mehanna will remain in U.S. Marshal Custody.
MEHANNA'S PAST
He was indicted in January for allegedly making false statements to the FBI in a terrorism investigation.
Mehanna, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in November and charged with lying to the FBI in December 2006 when asked about the whereabouts of Daniel Maldonado, who is now serving a 10-year prison sentence for training alongside al-Qaeda members to overthrow the Somali government.
Mehanna's father, Dr. Ahmed Mehanna, is professor of medicinal chemistry at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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