South Carolina Attorney Lawyer

TAMPA - with a gun to draw a series of 21 / 2 minutes more than two years in prison for a former University of South Florida student.

Karim Moussaoui was two days before his term with the organization of three computers and the degree of preparation for employment affairs of his family in Casablanca, where he was arrested on weapons unusual federal tax-February 13

The 28-year-old, won the authorities of Morocco recalls, though his name has been under consideration for two other students in a USF explosive.

He was immediately shooting with a friend, Youssef Megahed, posierten last summer, and for photos with a .22 caliber rifle, had rented Megahed - Snapshots investigators found that if they meet the computers Megahed.

On Wednesday afternoon, a jury sentenced Moussaoui. He was sentenced on 14 July In the meantime, he remains behind bars.

US District Judge James D. Whittemore ordered his detention because he believed the leak could, if Moussaoui, so they move freely borrowing. He invited advocates Deeann Athan, for a motion next week to reassure him and not leave Moussaoui if the United States loan granted.

Before the trial, Moussaoui told the reporters allowed on the steps of the Federal Court son of optimism: “It is a country of justice, the United States of America.”

Although the process seems that the question of whether Moussaoui in possession of the firearm, while the series ended on July 19, it was infused with references to two of his friends of USF.

The friends - and Ahmed Mohamed Megahed, the two Egyptian nationals - are facing charges that they illegally transported explosives. The case against him stems from a financial vehicle, South Carolina, on August 4, deputies, if it finds cane bombs in the trunk. Mohamed is also charged, in particular, with the terrorists to help Internet Video-on-bomb.

Both are in custody and awaiting study should begin in a few weeks.

Moussaoui was in Megahed Tampa Shoot Straight, a shot, if it is rented, the weapon Megahed. Given that this is a legal, permanent resident in the United States, which is allowed by law Megahed own and rent the weapon. Moussaoui was different status, which is legal, as a non-immigrant aliens, which is the illegal possession of a weapon.

Evidence showed that if the pistol praised Megahed, had he fill in a form in which he had to say if it was one of the categories of persons who are not allowed firearms, including major criminals illegal aliens, people abandoned, the United States of their citizenship, or those who get dishonourable discharges from the military.

In the category of non-immigrant aliens was not mentioned that the shape, but it is on the paperwork required for the acquisition of a firearm.

Moussaoui testified that he had no idea his actions were illegal. But ignorance of the law is not a defense, said his lawyer and was not allowed to discuss.

Athan, defence, ie tried to argue that Moussaoui did not possess the weapon in the legal sense, because it does put the premises and bring down, because he the one who hires . The defense efforts in the direction of this argument to the jury was Whittemore.

Athan has asked the judge the task of the jurors could consider a defence of “possession temporary, transitional or temporary possession innocent.” Whittemore rejected that request mentioned, that the decisions of appeals courts that argument out of the reach of by hand.

It was an aspect of the case in which the judge said, the argument could be: in a video surveillance, shooting a gun, and record, we can Moussaoui lifting a box of balls read the label and then immediately return the box AT ITS.

On the first, Assistant US Attorney Robert Monk says that constitutes possession of the action detection and ammunition Moussaoui, a crime was committed.

The judge said that in the scenario, it would be a legal instruction that the jury selection, the temporary detention of defence. Monk argument that then withdrawn, and the judge, that the jury was not instructed.

Whittemore told jurors that the prosecution to prove the possession had the firearm or ammunition was voluntarily and not by mistake.

Athan jurors said that the owners of shooting have control over what goes in the schools. When she tried to say that the hand control of the weapon, who have opposed Monk and assess the continuing objection.

Monk asked jurors not to be distracted by the arguments.

“Does he think it was an umbrella organization, he knows, it was a weapon? Asked by the Crown.