Defense Wants Recording Stifled

TAMPA - After Youssef Megahed and Ahmed Mohamed were arrested in South Carolina, deputies recorded the men talking to each other in Arabic in the back of a patrol car.

Megahed's attorneys want a judge to limit the use of the recording at the men's upcoming trial, arguing that the recording largely is unintelligible. Consequently, they argue, transcripts of translations of the conversations are so limited that any comments that are intelligible are out of context.

Megahed and Mohamed were arrested Aug. 4 after deputies found pipe bombs in the trunk of their car, authorities said.

The defense has filed different transcripts with the court, one by an interpreter it hired and one by the FBI.

In the prosecution transcript, at one point Megahed asks Mohamed, "Did you tell them about the gasoline?"

"No," Mohamed responds. "I didn't know. I told them it's not yours and that you have nothing to do with it and I was the one who made these fireworks, and, and, and. ... Correct? I mean, unintelligible and the will of Almighty God, unintelligible and God willing, there is nothing on you. I had told them that these things he brought, which is the unintelligible these are the stuff that he bought unintelligible and this filter."

In the defense transcript, Megahed asks, "Did you tell them about the benzene gasoline?"

Mohamed says, "I have nothing to do with it. I do the fireworks and so ... so ... so ... That is it ... God willing. Inaudible ... and I told them he bought these things inaudible. He bought a new rifle and he uses these things to clean with."

The prosecution has suggested the pair were getting their story straight. Megahed's attorneys have said the conversation reflects the fact that Megahed didn't know anything about the devices in the trunk.

The defense maintains that the items in the trunk were homemade fireworks, or sugar rockets.

The prosecution alleges they were capable of being dangerous.

In addition to the devices, deputies found a container of gasoline in the trunk.