Sayed Malike
A
Life
Malike legally entered the United States from Afghanistan on September 26, 1996, and was awarded political refugee status in 1998 with help from immigration lawyer Eric Levine.[2] He had also traveled to Italy and Pakistan, and settled in Astoria, Queens.[2][3] He is married with two children, although his wife lives in Pakistan.[2][3]
In 2000, he launched a $5,000,000 lawsuit against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, complaining his civil rights had been ignored in an altercation with police at the 42nd Street bus station.[3] brought about by being issued a fine for jumping to the front of a line of taxicabs. He allegedly ripped his shirt off and "went berserk", and began banging his head on the car shouting about the "Giuliani Police State",[4][5] while he claims that officer William Finnie beat him.[5] He told the jurors that he was a lowly immigrant driving a cab to raise funds for a human rights organisation in Afghanistan, but the suit was rejected.[5]
Neighbours reported that he often brought women to his apartment, and grew irate when they made jokes about him being a terrorist and comparing him to Saddam Hussein.[3]
Investigation
On March 21, 2003,
On a trip to Florida a week later,
When he returned to New York, he was contacted by the store clerk and directed to undercover agent Joaquin Garcia who posed as an illegal arms dealer. Malike then told Garcia that he wanted to purchase five stolen
On April 18, Garcia brought him "dummy material" packaged in a wooden crate to look like C-4 and told him it would cost $10,000 for his requested collection. Malike declined and said he didn't have the money nor the space to store the stuff currently.[11][2][3]
A month later, Malike phoned Garcia and asked him if he could purchase just 100 Valium pills and 50 sleeping pills for $150, and met up with him for a fourth time.[11][1][2][9]
Arrest
Immediately after Renner sold him Valium and
He was given Heidi Cesare as his court-appointed defence attorney,[2] and was arraigned without bail the following day as federal attorney Catherine Friesen said that his actions suggested he "may either be a terrorist or have delusions of undertaking terrorist-type activities".[4][6]
He pleaded guilty to the charges of lying to officials and was sentenced to 37 months, which his attorney Alan M. Gardner appealed.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e CNN, NY Man arrested for allegedly trying to buy explosives, May 22, 2003
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l CNN, New York man accused of trying to buy explosives, May 23, 2003
- ^ a b c d e f New York Daily News, Cabbie Busted in Bomb Plot, May 22, 2003
- ^ a b c d Neumeister, Larry. Toronto Star, "Sinister intentions land NY cabbie in jail", May 28, 2003
- ^ a b c New York Daily News, Hack's Bus Station Boilover, May 23, 2003
- ^ , May 22, 2003
- Christian Science Monitor, Lone Wolves pose explosive terror threat", May 27, 2003
- ^ America's Waterway Watch, AWW in the News
- ^ United States Court of Appeals, Summary Order 04-3590 in USA vs. Sayed Abdul Malike
- ^ Dawn, "Afghan held on terrorism charges", May 24, 2003
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4391-4991-1.