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Last of Portland 7 Fold
The final two defendants in an alleged Portland terrorist cell who are in custody pleaded guilty Thursday and agreed to serve 18 years in federal prison.Bwahahahaha!! Patrice Ford and Jeffrey Battle were among seven Portland-area residents charged with plotting to wage war against U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Four others pleaded guilty earlier. One remains at large. The suspected leader, of course. Battle and Ford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to levy war against the United States, which carried a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. They had initially also been charged with money laundering, supporting terrorism and other offenses. Flanked by their attorneys, Ford and Battle stood in the courtroom. Answering questions by U.S. District Judge Robert D. Jones, Ford said "I plead guilty." Battle then did the same. The pleas came during a hearing when defense attorneys had intended to challenge evidence gathered under the USA Patriot Act. Because of the pleas, those challenges will not be heard during this case. Theyâll save it for the next case. A seventh suspect, Jordanian native Habis Abdu al Saoub, who is believed to be the groupâs leader, remains at large. Skipped the country when things got hot. Posted by: Steve 2003-10-16 |
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