Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Nextel RF Engineer-Pleads Guilty To Federal Charges

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 05:17:06 -0500

Nextel RF Engineer Pleads Guilty To Federal Charges-
12/2002

Man accused of having ties with Sept. 11
hijackers pleads guilty to voter fraud

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - A Pakistani man who
federal officials say may have been acquainted with
the Sept. 11 hijackers pleaded guilty Thursday to
voter fraud.

In a brief federal court hearing, Imtiaz Ahmed
Siddiqui, 31, admitted he signed a voter registration
form that identified him as a U.S. citizen when he got
a driver's license in Durham in August. He is a citizen
of Pakistan.

The hearing included no mention of the allegation that
he may be acquainted with terrorists, though federal
prosecutors have said he has been connected by
evidence to two of the hijackers.

"He acknowledged he made a mistake by signing the
form," defense lawyer Dan Boyce said after the
hearing. "He is not a terrorist. He does not have any
terrorist ties."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Cannon declined to
discuss the case.

Siddiqui was arrested Sept. 22 in Grand Rapids, Mich.,
by the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the
FBI. He was indicted Oct. 30 by a federal grand jury in
Greensboro.

An FBI affidavit alleged Siddiqui had been in touch
with one hijacker involved in the crash in
Pennsylvania, his court-appointed Michigan lawyer
said. The affidavit alleges Siddiqui visited an Internet
travel site at the same time as the hijacker, and they
may have communicated.

Boyce said it was a coincidence that his client was on
the Web site at the same time as a hijacker.

"He's a guy who's never been in trouble. He's a very
pleasant person, very easygoing. He is confused and
upset," Boyce said.

In an INS affidavit, Siddiqui said he entered the
United States on July 4, 2000, on a work visa to start
a job with a cellular telephone system contractor in
San Diego, Calif. He moved to North Carolina in June
to work at a Raleigh-area telecommunications
company, the affidavit said.

By early September, Siddiqui had moved to Michigan,
the affidavit said.

Siddiqui could get up to three years in prison, a
$250,000 fine and a year of supervised release when
he is sentenced.

http://www.courttv.com/assault_on_america/1207_voter_ap.html

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/