Sep 20, 2008 2:10 pm US/Eastern
Feds: Fort Dix Suspects Sought Other Targets
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) ―
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Six men face charges for allegedly plotting to kill soldiers at Fort Dix.
William Thomas Cain/Getty Images
One of the five men awaiting trial for allegedly plotting an armed attack on Fort Dix discussed other targets including the White House and Capitol, prosecutors claim in court filings.
The allegations, which were contained in a motion filed Friday in U.S. District Court, stem from wiretapped conversations between defendant Mohamad Shnewer and Mahmoud Omar, an FBI informant.
According to prosecutors, Shnewer spoke on Aug. 11, 2006 of targeting FBI and CIA headquarters as well. They also said another defendant attempted to buy an AK-47 automatic weapon in 2005.
Prosecutors are seeking to have the information admitted as evidence of criminal intent in the upcoming trial. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Sept. 29.
Attorney Rocco Cipparone, who represents Shnewer, said the wiretap evidence was not relevant to the case and could be prejudicial to his client, and said he was weighing whether to object to some or all of the prosecution's motion.
"I don't think it should be admitted," Cipparone said Saturday. "It personalizes it more to jurors, so it can have an unfair prejudicial impact. Whether or not it's admissible, it doesn't change the theory of the defense."
Defense attorneys are expected to attack the credibility of Omar and another FBI informant and may claim that their clients were entrapped.
The five men -- Shnewer, Serdar Tatar and brothers Dritan, Eljvir and Shain Duka -- were arrested in May 2007 and accused of plotting to sneak onto Fort Dix to attack soldiers.
A sixth suspect, Agron Abdullahu, pleaded guilty last year to providing weapons to the group and was sentenced to 20 months in prison in March.
All six men are foreign-born Muslims in their 20s who lived much of their lives in Philadelphia or the southern New Jersey suburbs. They face charges including attempted murder, conspiracy and weapons offenses and could be sentenced to life in prison of they are convicted on all counts.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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