UPDATE: Two men plead guilty to terrorism conspiracy charges
Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 5:21 pm
Two men plead guilty to terrorism conspiracy charges
The Associated Press
Two New Orleans men entered guilty pleas today to federal charges that included conspiracy to provide fake driver's licenses and other documents to individuals they thought were affiliated with terrorists. U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton told a news conference that despite claims by Cedric Carpenter and Lamont Ranson that they had contacts within the Mississippi Highway Patrol to obtain the fake licenses, that was never the case.
Authorities said the two did attempt to make contacts with the patrol through a trustee prisoner working for the agency but the trustee reported the activity to her superiors.
Their Feb. 18 arrests led agents to a hotel room in New Orleans where officers reported finding equipment to make fake documents, including driver's licenses, and some high quality samples.
Authorities said that while the two could produce the bogus documents, they lacked the seal used on Mississippi licenses to verify authenticity."At no time was the integrity and security of Mississippi driver's licenses breached," said Patrol Chief Marvin E. Curtis Jr.
Court records show the two had unknowingly bragged to federal informants during a ship cruise that they could obtain fraudulent documents. They had approached individuals aboard the ship, including the informants, seeking illegal narcotics and offering the false documents in exchange, records show.
The informants notified agents who began an investigation. As part of the sting, Ranson and Carpenter were told the informants were affiliated with Abu Sayyaf, a radical Islamic separatist group based in the Philippines.
Agents said the two upped their asking price after being told they would be dealing with terrorists, seeking $20,000 per set of documents, and drugs.
"The information alleges they could obtain Mississippi driver's licenses, false documents that could be used by terrorists to enter the country, remain in the country, travel in the country," Lampton had said earlier.
Lampton said today it was never shown during the investigation that the two actually made contact with any terrorist organization. Lampton said his office was recommending, based on sentencing guidelines, that Carpenter serve up to 78 months in prison and Ranson spend up to 41 months behind bars.
The Associated Press
Two New Orleans men entered guilty pleas today to federal charges that included conspiracy to provide fake driver's licenses and other documents to individuals they thought were affiliated with terrorists. U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton told a news conference that despite claims by Cedric Carpenter and Lamont Ranson that they had contacts within the Mississippi Highway Patrol to obtain the fake licenses, that was never the case.
Authorities said the two did attempt to make contacts with the patrol through a trustee prisoner working for the agency but the trustee reported the activity to her superiors.
Their Feb. 18 arrests led agents to a hotel room in New Orleans where officers reported finding equipment to make fake documents, including driver's licenses, and some high quality samples.
Authorities said that while the two could produce the bogus documents, they lacked the seal used on Mississippi licenses to verify authenticity."At no time was the integrity and security of Mississippi driver's licenses breached," said Patrol Chief Marvin E. Curtis Jr.
Court records show the two had unknowingly bragged to federal informants during a ship cruise that they could obtain fraudulent documents. They had approached individuals aboard the ship, including the informants, seeking illegal narcotics and offering the false documents in exchange, records show.
The informants notified agents who began an investigation. As part of the sting, Ranson and Carpenter were told the informants were affiliated with Abu Sayyaf, a radical Islamic separatist group based in the Philippines.
Agents said the two upped their asking price after being told they would be dealing with terrorists, seeking $20,000 per set of documents, and drugs.
"The information alleges they could obtain Mississippi driver's licenses, false documents that could be used by terrorists to enter the country, remain in the country, travel in the country," Lampton had said earlier.
Lampton said today it was never shown during the investigation that the two actually made contact with any terrorist organization. Lampton said his office was recommending, based on sentencing guidelines, that Carpenter serve up to 78 months in prison and Ranson spend up to 41 months behind bars.
They'll probably serve half of that time due to good behavior, or overcrowding or some other kind of excuse....sad 