Bradenton Herald : Judge denies bail to terror suspect who claims misgivings

Judge denies bail to terror suspect who claims misgivings

CURT ANDERSON | Associated Press | August 10, 2006

MIAMI - A judge denied bail Thursday to a seventh member of a group accused of plotting U.S. terror attacks despite the man's claims that he had misgivings about group's direction and attempted to break free by moving hundreds of miles away.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Garber, ruling on the same day British authorities foiled a major terror attack involving U.S.-bound airliners, agreed with prosecutors that 31-year-old Lyglenson Lemorin should remain in custody while awaiting his trial in March.

Lemorin and the other six are accused of conspiring to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago and government buildings in Miami, New York, Washington and elsewhere. Authorities have said their plot never got beyond the planning stage and that they never acquired any explosives or weapons for the attack.

Garber ruled that Lemorin, a Haitian immigrant, would be a danger to the community and a risk to flee if released on bail. His co-defendants, including alleged ringleader Narseal Batiste, are also being held without bail.

Lemorin gave a statement to the FBI after his June 26 arrest in Atlanta indicating that he moved because he wanted nothing more to do with Batiste's group after he and the others took an oath of loyalty to al-Qaida. The ceremony included a Middle Eastern man the group thought was an al-Qaida operative, but who was actually an FBI informant.

Lemorin's lawyer, Joel DeFabio, said Lemorin was not part of Batiste's inner circle and did not take an active role in any attack planning or reconnaissance.

"At best, they have Mr. Lemorin taking an oath, with nothing more. There are no overt acts," Lemorin said.

Federal prosecutor Richard Getchell said a video of the al-Qaida oath ceremony shows that Lemorin went first and showed no hesitation in joining "the most fearsome terrorist organization in the world."

"That's what is truly frightening about this case - the willingness to stand up, just like that, and say 'Yes, I'll help al-Qaida destroy buildings and overthrow the government of the United States,'" Getchell said.