Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

A look at the terrorism case against four men in Detroit

Some highlights in the terrorism case against Karim Koubriti, Ahmed Hannan, Farouk Ali-Haimoud and Abdel-Ilah Elmardoudi, who stood trial starting in March in U.S. District Court in Detroit:

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- Sept. 17, 2001: Federal agents raid a Detroit apartment looking for Nabil al-Marabh, who is wanted for questioning in the government's investigation into terrorism and whose name is on the mailbox. Inside they find Koubriti, Hannan and Ali-Haimoud, along with what would become key evidence in the case: false documents bearing the name Michael Saisa, a day planner that the government later says contains sketches of an American air base in Turkey and a military hospital in Jordan and a videotape FBI agents say feature possible targets. Koubriti, Hannan and Ali-Haimoud are arrested.

- Sept. 18, 2001: Koubriti, Hannan and Ali-Haimoud are accused in a criminal complaint of document and identity fraud.

- Sept. 19, 2001: Al-Marabh is arrested in suburban Chicago and later ordered held on an immigration violation.

- Sept. 21, 2001: A magistrate orders Koubriti, Hannan and Ali-Haimoud held, saying they present a flight risk.

- Sept. 27, 2001: Koubriti, Hannan and Youssef Hmimssa, whose photo and Michael Saisa alias were found on documents in the raid, are charged in a federal indictment with fraud and misuse of visas and fraud in connection with identity documents.

- Sept. 28, 2001: Hmimssa is arrested in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He later waives his right to a removal hearing and is sent to Detroit to face charges along with Koubriti and Hannan.

- Oct. 10, 2001: The U.S. attorney's office says the criminal complaint against Ali-Haimoud has been dismissed. He is released from custody later that month.

- Oct. 31, 2001: With Koubriti, Hannan and Hmimssa in custody, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft says three Arab men arrested in Michigan were "suspected of having knowledge" of the Sept. 11 attacks. He later backed off that statement, but was accused by defense lawyers of violating a gag order in the case.

- November 2001: Hmimssa signs an agreement with the government to make full and complete statements that won't be used against him, but denies knowledge related to terrorism in interviews with federal agents.

- Jan. 7, 2002: Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Convertino, the lead prosecutor in the case, says the government is "vigorously pursuing the evidence" in trying to build a terrorism case against Koubriti, Hannan and Hmimssa.

- March 2002: Hmimssa makes his first terrorism allegations to federal investigators about Koubriti, Hannan, Ali-Haimoud and Elmardoudi, who he knew only as Abdella.

- April 2, 2002: Federal agents arrest Ali-Haimoud at an ice cream shop where he worked at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. A new indictment released the next day charges Ali-Haimoud with fraud and misuse of visas and conspiracy to commit document fraud along with Koubriti and Hannan. A man with aliases including Abdella, later identified as Elmardoudi, is charged in the conspiracy. Charges against Hmimssa remain, but his case is later separated from that of the other defendants.

- April 5, 2002: Ali-Haimoud is ordered detained.

- May 2002: Al-Marabh is charged with immigration law violations. He later pleads guilty and is sentenced to eight months in prison. He has faced no terrorism charges, is fighting deportation and says he doesn't know Koubriti, Hannan, Ali-Haimoud or Elmardoudi.

- Aug. 28, 2002: Koubriti, Hannan, Ali-Haimoud and Elmardoudi, under the name Abdella, are charged with conspiracy to provide material resources or support to terrorists. The indictment accuses them of operating as a "covert underground support unit for terrorist attacks" and functioning as a "sleeper operational combat cell." The government says the defendants wanted to support attacks on Las Vegas, Disneyland, the air base in Turkey and the hospital in Jordan. Hmimssa is not charged with terrorism.

- Nov. 4, 2002: Elmardoudi is arrested in North Carolina during a routine check of a Greyhound bus for drug running and other illegal activities. He is found with a cache of identification documents and $83,000 in cash.

- Nov. 20, 2002: Elmardoudi is ordered detained.

- March 18: U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen bars public and media from the early stages of jury selection for the trial.

- March 24: Rosen denies a request by defense lawyers to delay the trial because of the war with Iraq, saying the defendants will be able to get a fair trial.

- March 26: Jury selection is completed and lawyers make their opening statements.

- March 28: Federal prosecutors call their first witness, FBI Special Agent Michael Thomas, who led the search of the Detroit apartment that led to the terrorism case.

- April 3: Hmimssa pleads guilty to 10 federal charges stemming from indictments on fraud-related charges in Michigan, Iowa and Illinois, clearing the way for him to testify.

- April 8: Hmimssa takes the stand as the government's key witness in what will be five days of testimony. He says Elmardoudi, the alleged ringleader, told him about the possibility of massive attacks on the United States one month before the Sept. 11 attacks. Hmimssa also described the defendants as Islamic extremists who wanted to ship arms to the Middle East and smuggle "brothers" into the country.

- April 11: Some Nevada law enforcers say media reports of Hmimssa's testimony offered them their first information that the alleged terror cell might have wanted to target Las Vegas. The FBI insists that there have been no credible terrorist threats to Nevada or Las Vegas.

- April 18: Rosen said he is "distressed" by Ashcroft's public praise for Hmimssa during a press conference the previous day because of a gag order in the case. It is the second time defense lawyers say Ashcroft violated Rosen's gag order.

- May 6: Defense lawyers begin calling witnesses in their effort to rebut the government's case.

- May 14: Testimony finishes, with the defense calling a former associate of Hmimssa and the government presenting a brief rebuttal.

- May 19-20: Closing arguments take place. Federal prosecutors ask jurors to piece together the puzzle of evidence and convict, while defense lawyers say the case against their clients is built on lies.

- May 21: Jury deliberations begin.

- June 3: Elmardoudi and Karim Koubriti are found guilty of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists and conspiracy to engage in fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents. Hannan is acquitted of conspiracy to support terrorism and is found guilty of conspiracy to engage in fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents. Koubriti and Hannan are acquitted on two other fraud counts. Ali-Haimoud is acquitted of all charges.

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Sources: U.S. District Court in Detroit, U.S. attorney's office in Detroit.

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