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2nd Hearing Expected Today For USF Bomb Suspects

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By Elaine Silvestrini and Howard Altman, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 7, 2007

Updated: 09/07/2007 11:44 am

TAMPA - A hearing is expected this afternoon for two University of South Florida students charged with transporting explosives.

An indictment handed up here last week also accuses one of the men, Ahmed Mohamed, of trying to help terrorists by aiding, teaching and demonstrating the use of an explosive device.

The indictment charges Mohamed and Youssef Megahed with transporting explosives. Both men are Egyptian citizens -- Megahed a permanent, legal U.S. resident and Mohamed visiting on a student visa.

At 12:40 p.m., three members of Megahed's family entered the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Tampa. They declined to comment to reporters.

The students were arrested last month in South Carolina after deputies pulled them over for speeding and then found in their trunk what police described as several pipe bombs. Mohamed has said in court that the items in the trunk were fireworks left over from the Fourth of July.

They appeared in federal court in South Carolina on Thursday after state charges were dropped, and they were brought to Tampa on Thursday night.

A hearing is expected before U.S. Magistrate Elizabeth Jenkins, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Samir Megahed, Youssef's father, expressed frustration this morning outside the federal courthouse as he waited for the hearing.

The government, he said, is rushing this case through, not giving his son adequate time to get proper representation.

Lionel Lofton, who was asked by Egyptian embassy to represent Mohamed in South Carolina, is waiting to hear whether those officials want him to represent Mohamed in Tampa.

He said he should know by early next week at the latest whether he is coming to Tampa.

Mohamed, he said, was very happy to learn he was headed back to Tampa.

"He has friends" in Tampa, Lofton said. "He was very pleased to be going back."

In press reports from Egypt, government officials there expressed frustration at how long it took U.S. officials to allow Mohamed and Megahed to meet with a representative from the Egyptian embassy. Lofton this morning said he did not discuss politics with that representative, Ashraf Salama.

Mohamed makes a good client, Lofton said.

"He is well-educated, well-spoken, intelligent and easy to communicate with," he said. "He is a client you don't mind having because he pays attention."

News Channel 8 reporter Krista Klaus contributed to this report. Editor Howard Altman can be reached at 813-259-7629 or haltman@tampatrib.com.

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