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Defense Wants Grand Jury Transcripts Reviewed In Explosives Case

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 3, 2009

TAMPA - Lawyers for Youssef Megahed want a judge to determine whether something improper happened when a grand jury indicted the former University of South Florida student on charges of illegally transporting explosives.

Assistant Federal Public Defender Adam Allen filed a motion today asking U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday to privately review grand jury transcripts to determine whether there are grounds to dismiss the indictment against Megahed.

Grand jury proceedings and transcripts are sealed, and the defense has no access to them. Allen did not give a reason in his motion for the need to have the judge review the transcripts, but he wrote that he was filing a separate pleading, under seal, describing the details.

The pleading is being filed under seal, Allen wrote, "out of fairness to opposing counsel, to avoid potential jury pool contamination with likely disputed trial facts, and to avoid the appearance that this motion is being filed for an impermissible purpose."

Megahed and another student, Ahmed Mohamed, were arrested in August 2007 when deputies in South Carolina found what they said were explosives in the trunk of the two Egyptian nationals' car.

Mohamed has since been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for helping terrorists by posting a video on the Web site YouTube in which he shows how to use a remote-controlled toy to detonate a bomb.

Reporter Elaine Silvestrini can be reached at (813) 259-7837 or esilvestrini@tampatrib.com.

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