Detroit Sleeper Cell: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Men believed to be plotting an attack on Disneyland}}

The '''Detroit Sleeper Cell''' is a group of young men of [[Middle East|middleMiddle-easternEastern]] descent, who the [[United States Department of Justice]] believed were plotting an attack on [[Disneyland]]. The members of the alleged cell were [[Farouk Ali-Haimoud]], [[Ahmed Hannan]], [[Karim Koubriti]], and [[Abdel Ilah Elmardoudi]].

== Trial ==

{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage = | video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_xmYtqUPqE The Detroit Sleeper Cell, Retro Report Voices], 11:43, [[Retro Report]]<ref name="retro1">{{cite web | title =The Sleeper Cell That Wasn't | publisher =[[Retro Report]] | url =https://www.retroreport.org/video/the-sleeper-cell-that-wasnt/ | access-date =December 15, 2016 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20161220131553/https://www.retroreport.org/video/the-sleeper-cell-that-wasnt/ | archive-date =2016-12-20 | url-status =live }}</ref> }}

While on a trip to disneylandDisneyland, the four men recorded a home video. The Justice Department believed that this recording was [[reconnaissance]] for a future terror attack. This video, combined with the testimony of self-described con-artist Youssef Hmimssa, and what the defense called doodles[[doodle]]s in a day planner, but the prosecution called terror plans, led to the conviction of Koubrititwo andmen on June 3, Elmardoudi2003.{{r|Wapo051119}}

The prosecution claimed the five were "[[Takfiris]]" --&mdash; followers of a radical [[Islam]]ic sect that allowed [[jihadistmujahideen]]s to drink alcohol, use narcotics, and refrain from praying, in order to blend in tointo Western societies, so they could mount clandestine attackattacks on them.<ref name=FIndLaw>[http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/terrorism/uskoubriti82802ind.pdf USA v. Karim Kobrouti et al.] {{refWebarchive|Findlawurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060131090258/http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/terrorism/uskoubriti82802ind.pdf |date=2006-01-31 }}, ''[[Findlaw]]''</ref>

Youssef Hmimssa, who pleaded guilty to multiple charges of credit card fraud and identity theft, agreed to testify against the four men, in a deal that would allow him to consolidate his other charges, and avoid further charges, reducing his sentence to between 37 and 46 months in prison.<ref name=metrotimes060703>[http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=4801 Cell phony - Government's star witness says he's a scam artist, not a terrorist.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060329210010/http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=4801 |date=2006-03-29 }}, ''[[Metro Times]]'', April 16, 2003</ref> Defense attorneys Joseph A. Niskar, James C. Thomas, James Gerometta, Richard Helfrick, William Swor, Margaret Raben, and Robert Morgan were assigned to represent each individual member of the group. However, the attorneys argued the case together.

While on a trip to disneyland, the four men recorded a home video. The Justice Department believed that this recording was [[reconnaissance]] for a future terror attack. This video combined with the testimony of self-described con-artist Youssef Hmimssa, and what the defense called doodles in a day planner, but the prosecution called terror plans, led to the conviction of Koubriti and Elmardoudi.

== Post Trial -trial==

The prosecution claimed the five were "[[Takfiris]]" -- followers of a radical [[Islam]]ic sect that allowed [[jihadist]]s to drink alcohol, use narcotics, and refrain from praying, in order to blend in to Western societies, so they could mount clandestine attack on them.{{ref|Findlaw}}

Later, the conviction of the two men was overturned by information indicating that the prosecution had withheld important information from the defense. In the Justice Department's filing they claimed there was "no reasonable prospect of winning," and "In its best light, the record would show that the prosecution committed a pattern of mistakes and oversights that deprived the defendants of discoverable evidence (including impeachment material) and created a record filled with misleading inferences that such material did not exist".<ref name=Usatoday040901>[https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-09-01-terror-doj_x.htm Judge throws out terror convictions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728071641/http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-09-01-terror-doj_x.htm |date=2012-07-28 }}, ''[[USA Today]]'', September 1, 2004</ref>

A federal grand jury is investigating whether the prosecution withheld information from the defense and deceived the jury. [[Richard Convertino]], the lead prosecutor in the case, sued [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]] [[John D. Ashcroft]], accusing Ashcroft and others of mismanagement and retaliation, but the lawsuit was thrown out by a judge.<ref name=Wapo051119>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/19/AR2005111900952.html Detroit 'Sleeper Cell' Prosecutor Faces Probe: Grand Jury Considering Indictment for Misconduct] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025143948/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/19/AR2005111900952.html |date=2017-10-25 }}, ''[[The Washington Post]]'', November 19, 2005</ref>

[[Youssef Hmimssa]], who plead guilty to multiple charges of credit card fraud and identity theft, agreed to testify against the four men, in a deal that would allow him to consolidate his other charges, and avoid further charges, reducing his sentence to between 37 and 46 months in prison.

== Post Trial ==

Later the conviction of the two men was overturned by information indicating the prosecution had withheld importand information from the defense.

==See also==

{{Portal|Michigan}}

*[[Buffalo Six]]

*[[Buffalo Six]] - A terror cell captured in [[Buffalo, New York]], United States

*[[Saad Madai Saad al-Azmi]] -- [[Guantanamo detainee]] also accused of being a [[Takfiri]]

*[[Naser Jason Abdo]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

* [httphttps://www.washingtonpostfoxnews.com/wpstory/prosecutor-detroit-dyn/content/article/2005/11/19/AR2005111900952.htmlterror-cell-used-secret-code Prosecutor: Detroit 'SleeperTerror Cell' ProsecutorUsed FacesSecret ProbeCode], ''[[washingtonpost.comFox News]]'', [[NovemberMay 20]]19, [[2005]]2003

* [http://www.foxnewswsws.comorg/storyarticles/0,2933,87251,002003/jun2003/detr-j07.htmlshtml Prosecutor:Split verdict in Detroit Terrorterror Celltrial Usedexposes Secretgovernment Codeframe-up], ''[[FOXWorld NewsSocialist Web Site]]'', [[MayJune 19]]7, [[2003]]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040228075416/http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/bostonglobe111502.html Federal Officials Reveal Arrest Of Alleged Leader Of Terror Cell]. ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', November 15, 2002

* [http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-09-01-terror-doj_x.htm Judge throws out terror convictions], ''[[USA Today]]'', [[September 2nd]], [[2004]]

* Petra Bartosiewicz, "[http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=356 The Prosecutor]," This American Life, episode 356, May 30, 2008.

* [http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/jun2003/detr-j07.shtml Split verdict in Detroit terror trial exposes government frame-up], ''[[World Socialist Web Site]]'', [[June 7th]], [[2003]]

* [http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=4801 Cell phony - Government’s star witness says he’s a scam artist, not a terrorist.], ''[[metrotimes]]'', [[April 16th]]. [[2003]]

==References==

# {{note|Findlaw}} [http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/terrorism/uskoubriti82802ind.pdf USA v. Karim Kobrouti et al.], ''[[Findlaw]]''

{{War on Terrorism}}

{{AmericanTerrorism}}

[[Category:TerrorismIslamic terrorism in the United States]]

[[Category:American people of West Asian descent]]

[[Category:History of Detroit]]

[[Category:Criminal quartets]]

[[Category:Disneyland]]