TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Ex-USF Student's Gun Case Goes To Trial March 10

ADVERTISEMENT

By VALERIE KALFRIN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 8, 2008

TAMPA - A federal judge today set a March 10 trial date for a former University of South Florida engineering student charged in connection with a case against two other former students accused of transporting explosives.

Karim Moussaoui, 28, is charged under a federal law prohibiting someone in this country on a student visa to possess a firearm. The charge punishable by up to 10 years in prison arose from a visit authorities say Moussaoui made in July to a Tampa firing range with friends who later were arrested.

Moussaoui's attorney, Steve Crawford, requested the trial date in federal court this morning to arrange travel for Moussaoui's family, who live in Morocco, and other possible witnesses.

According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Moussaoui went to a shooting range with Youssef Megahed and Ahmed Mohamed on July 11.

Mohamed, 26, and Megahed, 21, both Egyptian nationals, were arrested in South Carolina on Aug. 4 and charged with having explosives in their car. Mohamed later was accused of trying to help terrorists by posting on the Internet a video in which he showed how to use a remote-controlled toy as a bomb detonator.

Moussaoui told the FBI that during the visit to the shooting range he posed for a picture with a gun but didn't fire any weapons, the complaint states.

His parents have said the gun was unloaded and that the photo was a souvenir.

Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT