Radical Muslim to Plead Guilty in Model Plane Plot to Blow Up Pentagon
- Posted on July 11, 2012 at 7:21am by
Billy Hallowell
- Print »
- Email »
BOSTON (The Blaze/AP) — It‘s a case that’s almost too unbelievable to be true. A Massachusetts man charged with plotting to fly remote-controlled model planes packed with explosives into the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol will plead guilty to two charges, his lawyers and prosecutors said in a plea agreement filed in federal court Tuesday.
(Related: New Details of Alleged Homemade Drone Attacks Against Pentagon and Capitol)
Rezwan Ferdaus, a Muslim-American from Ashland with a physics degree from Boston’s Northeastern University, was arrested in September after federal employees posing as al-Qaida members delivered materials he had allegedly requested, including grenades, machine guns and what he believed was 24 pounds of C-4, a plastic explosive.
Court documents filed Tuesday, July 10, 2012 said Ferdaus, who is charged with plotting to fly remote-controlled model planes packed with explosives into the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol, plans to plead guilty to two charges on July 20, 2012 in federal court in Boston. (AP Photo/U.S. Attorney's Office)
Prosecutors and Ferdaus’ lawyers say Ferdaus will plead guilty to attempting to provide material support to terrorists and attempting to damage and destroy federal buildings by means of an explosive.
The two charges carry a combined maximum of 35 years in prison, but under the plea agreement, prosecutors and defense attorneys have agreed to request a 17-year sentence.
A change-of-plea hearing has been scheduled for July 20.
Under the plea agreement, prosecutors have agreed to dismiss four other charges.
Authorities said the public was never in danger from the explosives, which they said were always under the control of federal officials during the sting operation.
Counter-terrorism experts and model-aircraft enthusiasts said it would be nearly impossible to inflict large-scale damage of the kind Ferdaus allegedly envisioned using model plane because the aircraft are too small, can’t carry enough explosives and are too difficult to fly.
ABC News has more:
Authorities say Ferdaus, 27, became convinced that America was evil. He allegedly contacted a federal informant and later began meeting to discuss the plot with undercover agents he believed were members of al-Qaida.
He was charged with planning to use three remote-controlled airplanes, each packed with five pounds of explosives, to blow up the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol.
At one point, Ferdaus allegedly told undercover agents that his desire to attack the United States was so strong, “I just can’t stop. There is no other choice for me,” according to a recorded conversation detailed in an affidavit filed in court.
Ferdaus’ lawyers have suggested that the FBI ignored signs of mental illness in Ferdaus while investigating him.
During a bail hearing in November, an FBI agent acknowledged that the FBI had received reports about bizarre behavior by Ferdaus, including a report to Hopkinton police about one incident in which Ferdaus allegedly stood in the road not moving and appeared to have wet his pants.
Ferdaus’ lead attorney, Miriam Conrad, declined to comment on the plea agreement, as did a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz.
U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns can either accept or reject the plea agreement, including the 17-year sentence recommended by both the defense and prosecution. If Stearns rejects the agreement, then he must give Ferdaus an opportunity to withdraw his guilty plea.
The recommended sentence for Ferdaus is shorter than some of the sentences imposed in similar terrorism-related cases involving FBI sting operations.
In May 2011, a part-time fry cook from Decatur, Ill., was sentenced to 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction for plotting to blow up a federal courthouse.
In October 2010, a Jordanian man was sentenced to 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to trying to blow up a Dallas skyscraper. Hosam Smadi pleaded guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction after an FBI sting caught him trying to blow up a 60-story office tower. The charge carries a maximum sentence of life. He had faced up to 30 years under the terms of his plea agreement.
Comments (24)
Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In
Popular Stories
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 578 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 404 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 403 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 372 Comments
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 353 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 403 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 404 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 353 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 150 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 403 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
blackyb
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 3:18pmThis is the criminal element Obama is allowing to come into our country and do what he would like to do, but knows he would tip his hand. Obama hates America and the sooner the population knows that the more they can realize they need to impeach him. Michelle Obama is the same way, but she is not actively doing what obama is, but there is no doubt in my mind Michelle and Valarie Jarett are encouraging him. All all need prison for what they are doing.
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 3:15pmAll the money problems we have keeping prisoners in jail, paying for appeals, etc., is breaking this country. Whose big idea is it to keep giving these people a chance to get out and murder again. The victims never get an appeal.
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 3:09pmThis man needs to be put against a wall and shot.
Report Post »ACLUHater
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:09pmIt’s only a matter of time that one of these rags (I mean members of a peaceful religion) will succeed. And it doesn’t help when the dumbo in the white house bends over for these nasty pieces of flesh. Hey liberals, this is why we stereotype.
Report Post »2conservative
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 3:57pmIt makes me feel so safe that the Feds knew about it and said they controlled the explosives, just like they controlled the guns they ‘walked’ to the drug cartels in meehecio….
Report Post »spunkymonkey
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 2:54pmThere is no such thing as a radical Muslim. If you are a good Muslim and a devout Muslim, you are radical by definition.
There are secularized Muslims but they are a tiny minority.
To be a good Muslim is to be militant and aggressive, not passive.
Report Post »AnAmerican111
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:42pmAnother fine example of piglam at work!
Report Post »Nice religion…real peaceful!
Bunch of morons!
schroeder123
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:53amSoul less, and evil. His future, darkness.
Report Post »OniKaze
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:35amAnother muslim tried to kill people??? NO WAY!!
I don’t believe it… After all, Islam is a religion of peace…. They would NEVER do that..
This must just be more false reporting from the Vast-right-wing conspiracy… All perpetuated by Glen Beck and Fox News….
If you want to get rid of a religion of violence and hate.. we should go after those EVIL Jews or Christians…. Their religions have been merciless about killing innocents and children… I mean, remember back to when those Christians poisoned the well outside of a girls school (to teach them darn women to know their place and leave the Learnin’ to the men…) Or when the Jews sent all of those suicide bombers out to blow up innocents…
lol… Seriously though…. Who is surprised that a guy trying to commit terrorism is a muslim… I mean.. its written in thier book to be that way…
Report Post »love the kids
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:39amIt‘s a case that’s almost too unbelievable to be true. A Massachusetts man charged with plotting to fly remote-controlled model planes packed with explosives into the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol will plead guilty to two charges, his lawyers and prosecutors said in a plea agreement filed in federal court Tuesday.
Report Post »Why is this almost unbelieveable, Obummer orders this to happen with drones almost every day to people on his hit list.
tommyg524
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:10am..yes, a r e p e a t of a model aircraft can be done again. 90 cameras in and outside of the average wallmart, and -0- cameras or footage at the world prized pentogram, yeah, right, got it.
Report Post »jrfox
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 9:39amWhat people don’t know is this.
To a terroist, just being charged with an attempt to kill christians is an HONOR!!!!
The report should read, ‘in the arrest attempt he fled and was shot.”
Report Post »BlackCrow
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 9:27amGood plan Braiack. They couldn’t do it with a real airplane how much damage do you think you could have done with a model airplane? But you did enough planning to insure you spend the rest of your miserable life in a cell at Florence Colorado. Jihad dumba$$
Report Post »pma_guy
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 9:05amWhat kills me (pun intended) is the lack of REAL reporting. The “Delete Media” fail to mention a Crucial fact…Jihad Ferdaus is, of course, a muslim.
Report Post »Tickdog
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 8:35amok. so he pleads guilty.. hang him.. dont feed him.. get rid of him.. he is of no use to the planet!
Report Post »Mil-Dot
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 8:12amThe headline should read “STUPID” Radical Muslim to Plead Guilty in Model Plane Plot to Blow Up Pentagon.
Report Post »mike_trivisonno
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 8:33amThere is no such thing as a “radical” muslim.
There are muslims. They use Jihad to spread Islam and Sharia in the way of their warlord leader, Mohammed, and in praise of the Allah deity enshrined now in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
These muslims are not here to participate in American culture, they are here to erase it and replace it. In every single instance throughout history and across the planet, wherever muslims interface with non-muslims, there is violent Jihad. And the muslims will not ever willingly stop Mohammed’s Jihad until they are victorious or they are defeated and sent away entirely.
As the muslim population is reduced, violent jihad is reduced.
Outlaw Islam. Close the mosques. Deport the muslims.
And always remember the children of Beslan.
Report Post »paperpushermj
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:03pmMy thoughts exactly, Did this Jihadi pass a Mental test? Model Planes with what maybe a few oz of C4 bringing down the pentagon can only be evidence of visions of Grander, as he completed his act of going over the cliff to doom and martyrdom like the Religious Lemming he is.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 7:55amWhat a lovely young man.
N
Report Post »O
T
nzkiwi
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 7:53amA physics degree…
I don‘t know what’s involved in gaining a physics degree from the university that Ferdaus attended, but it seems to me that an in depth understanding of actual physics is not necessarily essential.
Report Post »Melvin Spittle
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:28amEven basic high school physics would have indicated he would fail:
Max velocity: v = q*[1-exp(-x*t)] / [1+exp(-x*t)]
Altitude reached: yb = [-M / (2*k)]*ln([T - M*g - k*v^2] / [T - M*g])
Additional altitude achieved on coast: yc = [+M / (2*k)]*ln([M*g + k*v^2] / [M*g])
Wind resistance = 0.5 * rho*Cd*A * v^2
The gravitational force = M*9.8 = 0.05398*9.8 = 0.529 newton
Plug in the mass, area, and thrust data and he would have immediately seen that they have run out of virgins in paradise and should therefore abort mission.
Report Post »Dismayed Veteran
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:22pmMelvin
Am I happy I didn’t take physics in high school or college.
I bet the formulae means” big plane no blow up big building so little plane no blow up big building.”
I have just demonstrated two things. 1. My complete lack of math skills. 2. You can get a MBA without math skills.
Report Post »Mr.Fitnah
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 7:47amDoesn’t sound like a radical to me, sounds like a good scripture following muslim.
Report Post »historyguy48
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 7:32amComrades, I thought he was having dinner with Dear Leader Friday night! I’m certain that the great one, AG Halder, will arrange his release so he won’t be late.
Report Post »Perhaps he can instruct Dear Leader on the proper use of bomb vests. After all Dear Leader himself has two little potential bombers to help spread the Jihad!
We should feel so safe with Dear Leader protectng us!