NEW YORK (AP) — A prosecutor advised jurors in a gap assertion Monday {that a} New Jersey software program developer was really a extremely skilled terrorist scoping out U.S. landmarks for assault from 2000 to 2005.
Alexei Saab, 45, of Morristown, New Jersey, had a double identification whereas he labored for Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Group, able to assault Individuals at common places if Iran was attacked by the U.S., mentioned Assistant U.S. Lawyer Samuel Adelsberg.
By day, Saab was a software program engineer working for expertise firms who slot in sufficient that he grew to become a U.S. citizen, the prosecutor mentioned.
By evening, he was “a terrorist and spy” scoping out potential terrorism targets in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and overseas in France, Turkey and the Czech Republic, Adelsberg mentioned.
Saab was arrested in July 2019 after being questioned throughout 11 periods over a number of weeks with FBI brokers.
Saab’s lawyer, Marlon Kirton, mentioned all of the proof within the case was from Saab himself and couldn’t be thought of dependable.
And he famous that Hezbollah had by no means attacked Individuals in the USA.
In courtroom paperwork, investigators mentioned Saab advised brokers he took images of buildings and places together with Quincy Market and the Prudential Middle in Boston and the Capitol Constructing, Congress and the White Home in Washington, D.C. A video of Fenway Park was recovered from certainly one of Saab’s digital gadgets.
Adelsberg mentioned the targets researched by Saab included Rockefeller Middle, Grand Central Terminal, all three New York space airports, the Brooklyn, Triborough and George Washington bridges and the Lincoln and Holland tunnels connecting New Jersey to Manhattan, amongst different places.
“On paper, he lived a traditional life when in actuality he was a sleeper agent for Hezbollah,” he mentioned.
In addition to surveillance actions in the USA, Adelsberg mentioned Saab additionally operated overseas after becoming a member of Hezbollah in 1996. He mentioned Saab tried to kill a person he later understood to be a suspected Israeli spy by pointing a weapon on the particular person at shut vary, however the firearm jammed.
Saab can be dealing with a wedding fraud cost for allegedly marrying a co-conspirator in 2012 beneath false pretenses. Saab’s lawyer didn’t contest that cost.
Saab has pleaded not responsible to fees together with offering materials assist to a international terrorist group, conspiracy, receiving military-type coaching from a international terrorist group, illegal procurement of citizenship to facilitate worldwide terrorism and citizenship utility fraud.
Probably the most severe cost carries a most potential penalty of 25 years in jail, although the costs collectively carry potential penalties of over 100 years in jail.
