Records: Scheme to smuggle guns, visas uncovered
By Freeman Klopott
Examiner Staff Writer 11/12/08
The investigation started when the informant met with Amjad Hamed, a Jordanian native and legal U.S. resident since 1978, in Hamed’s Annandale home in April 2006, the affidavit said. Hamed reportedly asked the informant to obtain visas for six associates who wanted to immigrate to the U.S. from Jordan and the West Bank.
Hamed reportedly told the informant that three of the of the six passports and visas were for people who had been arrested by the Israeli government. Hamed added that he had been jailed in Israel three times. Months later, between May 2007 and June 2007, Hamed sold three firearms — a fully automatic AR-15 assault rifle and two handguns, one with a serial number scratched off — to the informant, the affidavit said.
In June 2007, the two met in an Annandale parking lot, where the informant asked about buying a missile. “When I say missile, it is with everything ... with the controls if you want you can reach the Pentagon,” the affidavit said Hamed responded. In August 2007, the informant met with Hamed’s cousin Ibrahim Hamed, a Jordanian immigrant living legally in the U.S. since 1989. Ibrahim has been charged with transporting a firearm with an obliterated serial number across state lines. Amjad has been charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
Gregory Stambough, Ibrahim Hamed’s attorney, said the affidavit was “overblown” and “is not really reflective of the events as they actually took place.” Amjad Hamed’s attorney did not return calls Tuesday. Both men are being held without bail.
6 Comments
Reader Comments:
POSTED Nov 13, 2008
Bobc: "How much longer will it take, for the government to realize our immigration laws must be more strict?"POSTED Nov 13, 2008
Ozark_Sunshine: "Don't worry, under Obama and the Democrat Congress, our government will allow even more terrorists and illegal aliens into the country. The terrorists will eventually attack DC and we can elect some people who will actually care enough to protect us and close our borders."POSTED Nov 13, 2008
John: "When will a reporter ever get gun info correct? A Ar15 is not a assault rifle, and if it is fully automatic, it is not a Ar15, it is a M16 (or M4) That is the main difference between them fully automatic (or selective fire) = Assault rifle, other wise it is not (according to US army, who should know the topic pretty well)"POSTED Nov 13, 2008
Marvo76: ""A fully automatic AR-15?" there tain't such a critter, unless it has been altered, an AR isa semi-auto, legal to be sold in the US. Should it be tryely altered, then ATF would have jusrisdiction and could put him away for quite a while, regaurdless of the other charges...."POSTED Nov 14, 2008
JNR: "Ah...diversity, ain't it grand?"POSTED Nov 14, 2008
TR Bender: "Any firearm with a filed off or altered S/N is a federal felony. There on the spot. It does not have to be transported over state lines. The FBI knows this and should have turned the individual immediately over to the BATFE for immediate prosecution. As for the AR-15. It was known as the Colt AR-15 with ARPA purchasing 10 from Colt and having them sent to Vietnam for testing in the field. If my memory is correct, this is the same designation the rifle had when the USAF purchased them for their security teams in Vietnam for patrolling the Air Bases. The early AR's also had no forward assist. The barrel was also of a slow twist to cause the projectile to keyhole on impact."