Suspended USF student pleads not guilty in explosives case

TAMPA - Suspended University of South Florida student Youssef Megahed pleaded not guilty this morning to federal explosives charges.

Megahed, 21, made his plea during an arraignment in federal court. He is still awaiting a decision on his request to be released on $200,000 bail, and will be in court again 1:30 p.m. Friday as a judge listens to prosecutors' objections to his release.

Ahmed Mohamed, 26, a second suspended USF student facing similar federal charges, got a new lawyer this morning -- former federal prosecutor John Fitzgibbons, best known for helping Debra Lafave avoid jail time for having sex with a 14-year-old male student.

Mohamed's  arraignment was continued until Oct. 17.

The two students were indicted after being arrested in a traffic stop near a naval base in South Carolina.  Deputies found a box of bullets near the car seat, several pipe bombs in the trunk and "other suspicious items," according to the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office.

Mohamed, a civil engineering graduate student and teaching assistant from Egypt, faces the most serious charge, demonstrating how to make explosives for use in violent crimes.

Complete coverage: USF students under suspicion

-- Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

Comments

[hoshi]

It would be better if our American lawyers did not defend people who hate us. These two should not be allowed bail as they are both flight risks with no ties to this country except to harm or kill us. I don't care if CAIR doesn't like my comments - I don't like most of their comments either.

The key to justice is consistency.

USF is a nest of jihadists. There's no doubt these two are among them.

[Hang these bastards]

Hang these bastards, they were going to kill Americans.

[Ralph]

Think I need to pick up my jaw off the floor. These guys need to come clean maybe the media would cover that. Perhaps, the young man that had nothing to do with the lap top evidence was just a stuge. But the one that owns the lap top and the is certainly working on more that university course work.
Be safe.