JURIST - Paper Chase: Federal court finds 5 guilty of Fort Dix conspiracy

[JURIST] Five men were found guilty [DOJ press release; case materials] Monday in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey [official website] of plotting to kill US soldiers at Fort Dix [official website]. The five men, Serdar Tatar, Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, Dritan Duka, Eljvir Duka, and Shain Duka, were acquitted of attempted murder, but were convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and weapons offenses. The defense had argued that there was no plot, but the government paid informants to get the accused to discuss one. Prosecutors maintained that although the men had no ties to any terrorist organization, they were inspired by al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden and were planning an attack. The men face a sentence of up to life in prison.

The five suspects were arrested [JURIST report] in May 2007 for allegedly plotting to sneak onto the New Jersey military base and kill soldiers. They pleaded not guilty [JURIST report] in January. Their trial began [JURIST report] in October. In March, an accomplice, Agron Abdullahu, was sentenced [JURIST report] to 20 months in prison after pleading guilty [JURIST report] to charges of conspiring to provide firearms and ammunitions to the other five men.

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