An Ypsilanti man was arrested at the airport while trying to leave for Jordan with his family.
An Ypsilanti man was stopped from flying out of the country recently, and then arrested by the FBI’s counterterrorism team. The FBI is said to have discovered illegal weapons in a storage unit that the man owned. He and his family were about to board a flight to Jordan, when officials stopped him and then arrested him.
According to numerous media sources, 28-year-old Yousef Mohammad Ramadan hasn’t yet been charged with a terror-related crime. As of now, he is only facing gun charges, but many people are interpreting the involvement of the FBI’s counter-terrorism unit, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s national security unit, to mean that Ramadan is suspected of being involved in a terror threat against the US.
Federal documents reveal that Ramadan told FBI agents, during an undisclosed interview, that he owned a Glock handgun and two rifles. He admitted to nothing else and denied owning any other weapons. At first he claimed to have put his three weapons in a self storage unit whose location he couldn’t recall. Then he changed the story, and admitted to the feds that he had given his weapons to a friend, but refused to reveal that friend’s identity.
FBI agents discovered the location of Ramadan’s storage unit, somewhere in Ann Arbor, and conducted a raid. Inside the storage unit, officers discovered two handguns with the serial numbers filed away. Obliterating the serial number on a gun is a federal crime and a state of Michigan crime. According to WXYZ television new in Detroit, the FBI has been watching Ramadan, and has seen footage of him driving his sister’s car to the storage unit where the guns were found.
Very little information is available about the case, which seems to have left many people speculating about the possibilities. Ramadan was brought into Federal Court on Saturday, which is very rare as the Court is usually closed over the weekend. During the arraignment, which wasn’t posted on the court calendar, Ramadan was charged with Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number, which is a five-year felony under Federal Law. The Federal Magistrate Judge who oversaw the arraignment denied Ramadan bond. That left him waiting developments in the Wayne County Jail.
Ramadan is scheduled for a detention hearing yesterday morning in Federal Court. Although the FBI is being very close-lipped about the investigation and very few details have been revealed, we do know certain things. For example, the lead investigator is FBI Special Agent Ryan Schanberger, who is a member of the specialized counterterrorism squad that investigated Sebastian Gregerson, who pled guilty to possession of explosives and is suspected of being part of a larger terrorist plot.
We also know that the prosecutor overseeing this case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tukel. Tukel is the chief of the national security unit that prosecuted Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, also known as the “underwear bomber.” Although Ramadan has not been charged with any terror-related charges, the involvement of Assistant U.S. Attorney Tukel and FBI Special Agent Schanberger has led many to speculate that Ramadan is suspected of being involved in some kind of terror threat against the U.S. However, as we often remind our readers, it’s best not to assume anything until all of the facts are known, because situations can turn on a dime. Either way, we will be keeping an eye on this case, and will keep you updated if anything of interest develops.
Until then, if you or a loved one are in need of legal help in Michigan, or have been accused of a weapons related crime, call The Kronzek Firm immediately at 866 766 5245. Our experienced trial attorneys have spent decades successfully defending the people of Michigan against accusations and allegations. We can represent you both in state and in Federal Courts around Michigan, depending on which charges you are facing.