"Three Texas Men" Suspected In Planned Attack On Bridge

Makin' their waaayyy... the only way they know how... That's just a little bit more than the Sedition Act will allow...

Federal authorities helped with the investigation into a possible terror threat to the Mackinac Bridge. The FBI office in Detroit worked with local law enforcement authorities before the police arrested three men in Caro on Friday. Officers found about 1,000 pre-paid cell phones in their van. Police in Caro arrested the three Palestinian-American men after they allegedly bought 80 of the phones at a Wal-Mart store in Caro.

A pre-paid cell phone can be economical and convenient. But, 22 year old Adham Othman, 23 year old Louai Othman, and 19 year old Maruwan Muhareb aroused suspicion when they allegedly bought 80 phones at the same time. Caro Police Chief Ben Page said they thought “something was wrong here."

When police pulled the men over, they found about 1,000 phones in the van. Many were separated from their battery packs and the chargers were discarded. Michigan State Police Trooper Patrick Sharkey says, “We didn't know exactly what was going on. You hear on the news about these phones being used to detonate IED's."

Tuscola County Prosecutor Mark Reene says, “There were a thousand cell phones that were inside one motor vehicle. There's a laptop computer. There's a camera and there are things that are still being investigated at this point in time. Based on information received from a variety of agencies, we're developing how the actual headphones were sold, revenue was passed from one location to the next. Obviously, it's fairly complex." He thinks the men had a complex plan to attack the Mackinac Bridge.

However, the men, who are from Texas, say they simply purchase the cell phones, and resell them for more money. Louai Othman's wife Lina Odeh says he was simply trying to support her and their two-month old daughter. Odeh says, “Their goal in Michigan was to buy as many phones as they could so they could make a profit over here."

Hmmm... sell phones with key components (charger, SIM card, battery) removed for more money than they cost retail. Sounds like a hell of a business model to me.

1) Buy at retail, not wholesale, or even discounted, prices.

2) Strip out phones of key components usually thought necessary for ordinary use of the phones.

3) Travel to terrorist-friendly Michigan and sell these phones for a greater mark-up than retail.

4) Profit.

The men allegedly traveled to several states to buy pre-paid cell phones, despite policies at many stores limiting purchases to two or three phones at a time. Police in Wisconsin say these three men also bought phones in their state. A clerk who helped them says she suspected something fishy. Barb Bessert, a clerk at a Dollar General store, says, “When they buy more than a couple. Because they are 20 dollars apiece. So, that's like 80 bucks. But, they don't buy the minutes for it. Just the phone."

But, Othman's wife says this is a common business, and her husband is only being targeted because of his nationality. Odeh says, “There's nothing wrong with it. I don't know why they're making a big deal out of it. Are ya'll making a big deal out of this because all the Arabs are doing it?"

Yeah, that must be it. They got busted on a trumped-up LUI (Living Under Islam) charge.

I like the fact she threw in a "y'all" to sell the Texas Wife of a Texas Man thing, and that she apparently didn't say it right, requiring the reporter to render it as "ya'll."

The Three Texas Men:

Louai Abdelhamied "Jim Bob" Othman,
aka "Fat Cattle" Othman

Adham Abdelhamid "Billy Ray" Othman,
aka "Houston Sweet" Othman

Maruan Awad Muhareb,
aka "Cactus Jack" Muhareb,
aka"Deuce-In-The-Hole" Muhareb,
aka "I swear upon Mighty Allah, I mean,
upon Daniel Boone, I have seen every episode
of Walker, Texas Ranger ever made,
and have the Criterion Collection DVD of
Lone Wolf McQaid (pbuh) as well" Muhareb

Just three good ol' boys

up the bung in the prison showers?

posted by Ace at 03:28 PM

| Access Comments