Derrick Shareef is in the news again, nearly a year after he was arrested.He's been in custody since December, 2006, when he traded a pair of stereo speakers for a box of hand grenades, a handgun and some ammunition.
Derrick Shareef had allegedly been planning to detonate the grenades in garbage cans in CherryVale Mall, in Rockford, Illinois, on the Friday before Christmas.
But unfortunately for him, the "arms dealer" he met in a parking lot to do the deal was an FBI agent. And the fellow Shareef was traveling with, in whose car he was placing the grenades when he was arrested, was also working for the FBI.
Anti-terror officials assured the people of Rockford that there was never any danger, as the ammo and the grenades were non-functional. This is one of the benefits of providing the arms dealer.
They also trumpeted their capture of a dangerous terrorist, while saying very little about the slick entrapment scheme they used to collect him. But then again they never talk about such things, because doing so would reduce operational effectiveness.
As we reported here last winter, the affidavit presenting the evidence against Shareef leaves little doubt that the FBI's confidential source (CS) suggested attacking CherryVale Mall; the CS suggested using grenades; the CS drove Shareef to CherryVale twice for reconnaissance, and the CS arranged the bogus arms deal.
According to the affidavit, Shareef didn't have a car, didn't have any money, and couldn't even raise any money; the best he could come up with was a pair of speakers. But that was enough for the CS, and for the FBI's phony arms dealer. It may be enough for a guilty plea, too.
Derrick Shareef pled not guilty in January, and was judged competent to stand trial in May.
His trial is scheduled to begin next month.
But WIFR (channel 23 in Rockford) says he's about to change his plea:
Accused Mall Bomb Plotter Changes Plea
Derrick Shareef is scheduled for a change of plea at 10 AM on Wednesday before a U.S. District Court judge in the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in downtown Chicago.I'll see what I can find out, and I will definitely keep you posted.
Shareef has been scheduled to stand trial beginning December 10, 2007 on federal charges of attempting to damage or destroy a building by fire or explosion and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction in connection with alledgedly [sic] planning to set off several grenades in garbage cans at the Cherryvale Mall in Rockford last December.
He is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the [sic] proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
~~~
ninth in a series