Hosam Maher Husein Smadi

Hosam Maher Husein Smadi
Born (1990-06-05) June 5, 1990 (age 34)
Jordan
Occupation(s)Gas station attendant, restaurant help
Known forAttempted to destroy Fountain Place, a 60 story building in Dallas, Texas
Criminal statusIncarcerated at USP Allenwood
ParentMaher Smadi (father)
Conviction(s)Attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction (18 U.S.C. § 2332a)
Criminal penalty24 years imprisonment

Hosam Maher Husein Smadi (born June 5, 1990) is a citizen of Jordan who was arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist bombing of Fountain Place, a building in Dallas, Texas, on September 24, 2009.[1][2][3]

Smadi was in the United States illegally, and unaware he was under continuous surveillance, and that the other members of his "sleeper cell" were all Federal agents.[2] The agents in his "sleeper cell" had supplied him with inert chemicals, so his bomb had not posed a real threat.[4]

Smadi was provided with a fake bomb by FBI agents posing as members of al-Qaeda. He placed the device in the parking garage under the building and activated it with a cell phone. Instead of setting off a bomb, the cell phone rang a phone number at the FBI offices. Smadi pleaded guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.[1] Under the terms of a plea bargain, an additional charge of bombing a public place was dropped, and a sentence of not more than 30 years was recommended.[1][5] On October 20, 2010, he was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment. He will be deported from the United States after serving his sentence. He's currently serving his sentence at USP Allenwood.

Immigration officials were trying to determine how Smadi was able to work at a gas station, since he only had a 2007 tourist visa.[1][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "AP News : Judge to consider man's plea in Texas bomb plot". San Diego Union-Tribune. May 26, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Jason Trahan; Todd J. Gillman; Scott Goldstein (September 26, 2009). "Dallas Bomb Plot Suspect Told Landlord He Was Moving Out". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Anabelle Garay (October 4, 2009). "Jordan teen to have hearing in Dallas bomb plot". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on October 5, 2009.
  4. ^ Edith Nolan (September 24, 2009). "U.S. charges Afghan-born man with bombing plot". Reuters.
  5. ^ "Federal Bureau of Investigation - The Dallas Division: Department of Justice Press Release". Dallas.fbi.gov. Archived from the original on June 1, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2010.

Additional case documents are available here: