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Megahed Trial To Begin

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Youssef Megahed, right, faces a charge of possession of a destructive device in connection with his arrest in August 2007.

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 18, 2009

Updated: 03/18/2009 06:15 am

TAMPA - Opening statements will be given today in the federal trial of a former University of South Florida student accused of illegally transporting explosives.

Youssef Megahed, 23, also faces a charge of possession of a destructive device in connection with his arrest in August 2007 in South Carolina. He and Ahmed Mohamed were charged after deputies found pipe bombs in their trunk during a traffic stop, authorities said.

Mohamed insisted the items in the trunk were homemade fireworks. He later pleaded guilty to a charge of helping terrorists in connection with a video he posted on YouTube in which he demonstrates how to use a remote-controlled toy to detonate a bomb. He was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

Megahed is not facing terrorism-related charges. His attorneys contend the trial should focus on whether the items in the truck meet the legal definition of explosives.

U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday selected a jury Tuesday afternoon after questioning candidates for a day and a half.

Charges Dropped In Fatal Crash

Prosecutors on Tuesday dropped a DUI-manslaughter charge against a Deltona man involved in a wreck that left a Gibsonton motorcyclist dead.

Jeffrey Freson, 42, was charged after his 2005 Ford F150 pickup and a Suzuki 600 driven by Joshua Motsinger, 24, collided on State Road 60 near Providence Road about 9:30 p.m. Nov. 27, 2007. Motsinger was killed.

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"Ultimately it was determined we could not prove the defendant was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, nor was there sufficient evidence to prove that he caused the accident," Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi said.

Rift In Band Gets Volatile

A band's disharmony led one member to shoot at another Tuesday afternoon, police say.

Corey Anthony, 25, of Tampa, posted on his MySpace page in January that he wanted to leave his band and go solo, Tampa Police Department spokeswoman Andrea Davis said.

Band member Derick Williams, 25, saw the posting Monday and got angry, Davis said. At 3:13 p.m. Tuesday, he went to Anthony's home on East Floribraska to confront him.

Police arrested Williams at his home at 3112 E. 8th Ave and charged him with shooting into an occupied dwelling and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was being held at Orient Road Jail, with bail set at $15,000.

A staff report

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