An unexpected piece of evidence has come to light in the case of a young Oregon man arrested in an FBI counter-terrorism sting. Mohamed Mohamud's trial is scheduled to start tomorrow Thursday.
Prosecutors say they were preparing a witness when they came across an email that was not part of the case file. An FBI agent emailed a colleague about Mohamud in October 2009, suggesting that, quote, "given [Mohamud's] fear of police finding him with something illegal, and his frequent marijuana use, he might be an ideal candidate" to approach.
The government has said Mohamud was predisposed to commit an act of terrorism. They say he was the instigator of a dummy plot that took shape over meetings with undercover agents. That plot, prosecutors maintain, culminated in a dummy bomb Mohamud believed he'd detonated in downtown Portland.
April Baer / OPB
Mark O. Hatfield Federal Building
Federal Defender Steven Wax says the defense team has little trust that prosecutors have been forthcoming with all appropriate evidence.
Federal Court Judge Garr King said that prosecutors should have furnished the email earlier, but he declined to postpone the trial. Defense attorneys may wish to use the email as evidence. Jury selection is first on the Court's agenda for Thursday.
April Baer is covering the Mohamud trial for OPB. You can reach her at abaer@opb.org.
Find more Mohamud trial coverage here.
