Woman with altered passport pleads guilty

Houston Chronicle ^ | 9-27=04 | HARVEY RICE

[OXENinFLA]

A South African woman whose arrest raised fears of terrorists crossing into Texas from Mexico pleaded guilty today to illegal entry, lying to a federal agent and using an altered passport.

Farida Goolam Mahomed Ahmed, 48, of Johannesburg pleaded guilty to all three charges before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt.

She admitted to Hoyt that she had ripped three pages out of her passport.

Ahmed faces a maximum of 15 years, six months in prison and $750,000 in fines at her sentencing, scheduled for Jan. 10.

Her arrest July 19 at the McAllen -Miller International Airport prompted several public officials to call for stronger security measures along the 2,000-mile U.S. border with Mexico to prevent terrorists from entering the country.

Despite the alarm expressed by several officials, the U.S. Attorney's Office found no reason to handle the case as anything other than an immigration matter.

[OXENinFLA]

Despite the alarm expressed by several officials, the U.S. Attorney's Office found no reason to handle the case as anything other than an immigration matter.

Run that by me again............

[OXENinFLA]

PING........

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[DTogo]

Darn, I was hoping Tuh-Re-Zah was about to be deported.

[Robert357]

I wonder if the Attorney was a Clinton appointee?

[t_skoz]

BTTT

[coconutt2000]

Actually, I favor anything that'll put her away for a long time. They have her on the passport thing and illegal immigration. They should stick to that. If they tried for something else, we might risk losing before a liberal judge.

[t_skoz]

ping

[OXENinFLA]

Officials searched her baggage and discovered wet, muddy pants, $6,300 in U.S. currency and 550 British pounds. An Emirates Airline itinerary dated July 8 showed travel from Johannesburg to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, then to London. A second itinerary showed travel from London to Mexico City on British Airways.

[Grampa Dave]

Sorry, Farida, you obviously ain't no Juanita nor a Juan.

[freepatriot32]

the us attornys general office found no reason to handle this as anything other then an immigration matter

if she would have been found with a bong with tommy chongs face on it howevere or a statue with exsposed breast she would have immediatly been shot in the back of the head and hung from the nearest streetlight as a warning to other potheads and statue pornographers a attorny general has to have his priortys straight you know /rant

[BurbankKarl]

you get some bad weed this morning?

[BurbankKarl]

I am glad they at least cuffed her. If she had been caught in California (har har) they would have signed her up for a Cal Aid card.

[bayourod]

Looks to me as if she was running from someone and trying to cover her trail. She could have just taken a flight from Mexico to the US, but that would have left a trail to the US.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping

[GovernmentShrinker]

Farida Goolam Mahomed Ahmed

Doesn't sound like a South African name to me.

[camas]

how about pumping her full of truth serum and finding out her orders.

[coconutt2000]

how about pumping her full of truth serum and finding out her orders.

Farida Ahmed or Teresa Kerry?

[Velveeta]

Brrrr. Getting a chill from her eyes.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

The shameless hussy! To allow herself to be photographed in such a state!

To appear in chains while not wearing a burqa or even hajib!

She has disgraced her family.

The only recourse for such behavior is an honor killing.

[freedumb2003]

The only recourse for such behavior is an honor killing.

Yes -- she has no sisters and her only brother must kill all her siblings at once!