Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY

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U.S. NEWS Friday 22 March 2019

Florida man pleads 5 compound suspects plead

guilty to mailing bombs not guilty to terror charges

to Trump foes

By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — A Florida
man pleaded guilty Thurs-
day to sending a wave of
pipe bombs to CNN and
prominent critics of Presi-
dent Donald Trump, at-
tacks that harmed no one
but created fear as the
devices turned up, day af-
ter day, at locations across
the country.
Cesar Sayoc sobbed as he
entered the plea before a This Aug. 30, 2015, file photo
released by the Broward
federal judge in New York. County Sheriff’s office shows
“I’m truly sorry,” he said. Cesar Sayoc in Miami. This Aug. 13, 2018 pool file photo shows defendants, from left, Jany Leveille, Lucas Morton, Siraj
Ibn Wahhaj and Subbannah Wahhaj entering district court in Taos, N.M., for a detention hearing.
He faces the possibility of Associated Press Associated Press
a life sentence on 65 crimi- vironment. By MARY HUDETZ
nal counts, including using The hunt for the bomber Associated Press who is from Haiti and had Ghani Wahhaj, who had
been living in the country suffered from severe medi-
weapons of mass destruc- began Oct. 22 when a
tion and illegal mailing of device was discovered in ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) illegally. cal disabilities that caused
— Five people arrested at The group had travelled seizures.
explosives with intent to kill. a mailbox at an estate in
Sayoc had been sched- New York City’s northern a ramshackle New Mexico in late 2017 from Georgia The boy had been report-
compound where one to New Mexico, where ed missing in Georgia in
uled to go on trial this sum- suburbs owned by the bil-
mer on charges that he lionaire George Soros, a of the suspect’s sons was they built their compound late 2017 and died at the
found dead pleaded not in an area dotted with compound after he was
mailed rudimentary bombs liberal political activist and
to 16 targets, including Bill frequent subject of conspir- guilty Thursday to federal some of the region’s signa- denied medication be-
terrorism-related charges ture “earthship” self-built cause Leveille believed it
and Hillary Clinton, Joe acy theories.
Biden, several members of A device addressed to the and other counts that their homes. suppressed Muslim beliefs,
authorities said.
attorneys say the group “This case is about free-
congress, former President Clintons was discovered
Barack Obama and the the following day, followed would not be facing if they dom of religion, freedom She and the boy’s father,
of association and the Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, had held
weren’t Muslims.
actor Robert De Niro. a day later by a slew of
Devices were also mailed homemade pipe bombs The two men and three right to bear arms,” said hours-long prayer rituals
women
have
been Billy Blackburn, an attorney over the boy in the days
to CNN offices in New York found at the homes or of-
and Atlanta. fices of prominent Demo- charged of conspiring to for Subhanah Wahhaj. leading to his death.
The results of an autopsy
support planned attacks He and other defense at-
He has been held without crats. One, addressed to
bail since his late-October former CIA director John on U.S. law enforcement torneys said their clients for the boy are still pend-
ing.
officers, military members are innocent of the charg-
arrest at a South Florida Brennan, was sent to CNN
auto parts store. At the in New York. and government employ- es. Others charged in the
The group’s makeshift set-
ees while living on the out-
case include two sisters
time, he had been liv- Over several days, investi-
ing in a van covered with gators tracked the pack- skirts of Amalia, just south tlement had consisted of and a brother-in-law of
a camping trailer wedged Wahhaj.
of the Colorado border.
Trump stickers and images ages to a mailing center in
of Trump opponents with Florida. They have been in federal into the desert and sur- All, except Wahhaj, are
custody since last August rounded by stacked tires charged in the kidnapping
crosshairs over their faces. Prosecutors said the evi-
The bombs began turning dence against Sayoc in- on firearms charges that before authorities raided it of his son.
Federal statutes gener-
accuse them of conspir-
and found 11 hungry chil-
up weeks before the hotly cludes DNA linking him to
contested midterm elec- 10 of the explosive devices ing to provide weapons dren, guns and ammuni- ally only allow for charging
parents with abducting
and ammunition to Jany tion, a firing range.
tions, contributing to an and fingerprints on two of
already tense political en- them.q Leveille, one of the five They also found the re- their own children in inter-
national cases.q
and a leader of the group mains of 3-year-old Abdul-