Two Involved in Home-Grown Terror Plot Plead Guilty

Kevin James and Levar Washington pleaded guilty on December 14, 2007 to federal terrorism charges, according to a press release issued by the United States Department of Justice and published by prnewswire.com. The two men had conspired to attack, in the Los Angeles, California area, United States military operations as well as "infidels," and Jewish and Israeli facilities in the region.

Both James and Washington belonged to a radical Islamic group, a terror cell that James founded while he was in a California state prison. James then recruited Washington to join the group while too in state prison, and then Washington proceeded to also recruit more members into the group.

Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said, "We are keenly aware of the threat posed by home-grown terrorism. As the guilty pleas today demonstrate, we will continue to identify and disrupt extremist cells before they can inflict harm. This case demonstrates how law enforcement cooperation at all levels thwarted a domestic plot that targeted U.S. military facilities as well as Israeli and Jewish facilities in the Los Angeles area."

Another guilty plea to a charge of terrorism conspiracy is expected on Monday, December 17th from Gregory Patterson, also a member of the group named "Jam'iyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh," or JIS by Kevin James. There was another man named in the indictment, Hammad Samana. Samana, however, is in a federal prison facility psychiatric care program and has been found unfit to stand trial.

James first formed JIS while in New Folsom Prison in 1997. He recruited Washington in 2004, and both men wore an oath of allegiance to both James and to the organization. After Washington's release that same year, he recruited Patterson and Samana, who both each also took the oath. Then in order to fund the organization, Washington and Patterson went on a robbery spree of area gas stations and convenience stores. Samana worked by researching points as targets and devising plans. He drew up a document called "Modes of Attack," one called, "LAX and Consulate of Zion," and also other documents such as "Military Targets," "Army Recruiting Centers Throughout the Country," "Military Base in Manhattan Beach," and "Campsite of Zion."

James and Washington admitted during the plea agreements and court proceeding conducted in conjunction with their case that they had conspired "to levy war against the government of the United States through terrorism, and to oppose by force the authority of the United States government."

Source:

Two Plead Guilty to Domestic Terrorism Charges of Conspiring to Attack Military Facilities, Jewish Targets

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