Middle Eastern Man Seen At TVA dam Arrested With Brother in Roanoke

AP via WAVY TV (Virginia) ^ | 3/4/03 | DUNCAN MANSFIELD

[Heartlander2]

A Middle Eastern man seen taking photographs at a Tennessee Valley Authority dam was arrested with his brother Monday in Virginia for allegedly using false information to obtain driver's licenses.

A TVA police officer saw Ahmed Helmy Mostafa, 23, taking pictures with a woman at Norris Dam hydroelectric station, about 20 miles north of Knoxville, between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

"He stopped them and questioned them and took their identification," TVA spokesman Gil Francis said. "But they weren't breaking any laws so he couldn't detain them."

The officer remained suspicious and notified the FBI.

The FBI determined that Mostafa, also known as Ahmed Mohammed Elsakaan and Ahmed Mohamed Helmy Elsakaan, was wanted with his brother, Hatem M. Elsakaan, 26, for allegedly using fake IDs to get Virginia driver's licenses. An all-points-bulletin was issued.

The brothers were arrested about 5:00pm Monday at a Greyhound bus station in Roanoke. Both were being held at the Roanoke City Jail for federal authorities.

"Obviously, we take any information like this very seriously," said FBI spokesman Randy Crigger in Knoxville. "I mean, they are Middle Eastern and terrorists have been known to use such documents to support various criminal activities."

Both men were from Cairo, Egypt. The fake documents charges were filed against them in August in Richmond, Crigger said.

Authorities couldn't say how long they lived in Knoxville. Mostafa worked in a shopping mall.

The woman who was with Mostafa on Sunday was American. She was not identified, but Crigger said he thought she had been questioned.

The brothers were wanted on charges of violating federal laws on "producing identification documents that affect interstate commerce," an FBI statement said.

Specifically, they allegedly "supplied fraudulent residence information to apply for and receive driver's licenses, identification cards and driver's instructional permits from the state of Virginia," the FBI statement said.

[Constantine XIII]

Uh, oh.

[Heartlander2]

I see that there has been an earlier post on this here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/856962/posts

[Dog]

The brothers were arrested about 5:00pm Monday at a Greyhound bus station in Roanoke

Taking a bus to take photos of one the US's biggest dams.....nahhh they weren't up to no good..

/sarcasm

[Heartlander2]

Gosh darn, I mean here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/856467/posts

[Dog]

How did you loop the link back here??

:-)

[Michael.SF.]

taking pictures with a woman at Norris Dam... between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday. ...."But they weren't breaking any laws so he couldn't detain them."

Barney should have called Andy and asked if he could have charged them with "Conspiracy to commit a terrorist threat."

The charge may not have stuck, but he could have held them for 48 hours while a more thourough background investigation was conducted. Nobody takes pictures of a dam at 4:00 on a Sunday morning.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Glad to see people are keeping their eyes open. Taking photos at 4am is definately suspicious. I hope we get lots of info from the scum bags.

[Constantine XIII]

Big Orange Bump!

[TSgt]

I'm with you.

I've stopped at Norris to take some pictures but I was on vacation and passing through on my way home from Gatlinburg.

I also had a car...My car...

This guy was up to no good.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

It seems like he did a decent job since the guys are in custody...

[CindyDawg]

why not identify the woman too?

[OBone]

You are right Mike. I don't think it was a tourist stop at that time of day. (My dad worked on building Norris Dam when I was a teenager.)

OB

[ruready4eternity]

EVERYONE SHOULD BECOME TERRORISTS COPS NOW, WE SHOULD ALL BE ON THE LOOKOUT for these CREEPS. KEEP YOUR EYES OPENED, they are ALL AMONG US.

[GailA]

They let them go the NCIC data base was DOWN, looks like Roane Oak PD got them. At 4-5 am it is PITCH black outside it would take some mighty good camera equipment to get photos at that hour.

[Michael.SF.]

The brothers were arrested about 5:00pm Monday at a Greyhound bus station in Roanoke.

36 hours later and one state away. Sounds like we got lucky on this one.

But, the officer was right, his hunch prevailed, I do not fault him for that. I fault the system. My guess is that the officer did not have enough to hold him and was afraid of possible repurcussions for "racial profiling."

[Righty1]

Does any arab muslim have just one name???

[Walkingfeather]

Cher

[DakotaGator]

ROFLMAO!

[Terridan]

But doesn't the "Patriot Act" passed in 2001 protect officers from this? Here in my town, the city managers are protesting against it saying they will not adhere to following it. How can this be? Shouldn't we all be cooperating with the Feds to help with locating terrorists exhibiting suspicious behavior???
See "Sonoma Index Tribune, March 4 issue, front page...
It sickens me that anyone would not want to help keep America safe. Just glance through that article please, and let me know what you think... Thanks, Terri
www.sonomaindextribune.com