One of the charged may have been an SMC student
SANTA ANA — Four men, one believed to be a Santa Monica College student, were indicted here on Wednesday by a federal grand jury for their alleged roles in a terrorist plot to attack Southland armed services sites and synagogues, a plot that may have included a Santa Monica military recruitment center.
The indictment charges Kevin James, 29, and three associates with “conspiracy to levy war against the United States government through terrorism” and “conspiracy to possess and discharge firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence,” according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday.
James, a U.S. national, allegedly founded the radical Islamic organization Jam’iyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh (JIS) in 1997 while serving time in California State Prison-Sacramento. As part of his recruitment efforts, James secretly distributed a document to fellow prisoners that included his religious teachings as well as the “justification” for killing non-followers, including U.S. government and Israeli interests.
In November of 2004, Levar Washington, a U.S. national, swore an oath to James and the JIS while serving time in the same prison. Upon his release later that month, Washington, 25, allegedly recruited co-conspirators Gregory Patterson, 21, a U.S. national, and Hammad Riaz Samana, 21, a lawful permanent U.S. resident originally from Pakistan, in order to plot terrorist attacks and commit armed robberies to help fund their activities, according to the complaint.
In addition to charges related to terrorism and furthering violence, the six-count indictment accuses Washington, Patterson and Samana with conspiracy to kill members of the U.S. government and foreign officials. Washington and Patterson are further charged with interference with commerce by robbery and using and carrying a firearm in connection with a crime of violence.
All four defendants are in custody. Samana was taken into custody Aug. 2 and has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The arrest of Samana, an SMC student from Inglewood who has been living in the United States for at least three years, was part of a terror probe that began when Torrance police arrested Washington and Patterson on July 5 for a series of gas station robberies.
Torrance police searched an apartment and discovered a list of possible sites targeted for terror on Sept. 11, 2005. That list included three National Guard facilities in the Los Angeles area, including a military recruitment center at the corner of 20th Street and Santa Monica Boulevard. That list also included the Israeli Consulate and several synagogues, according to recent news reports.
It’s unclear what led authorities from Washington and Patterson to Samana. Santa Monica College officials would neither confirm nor deny that Samana was a student. That information was corroborated from other sources.
Lt. Rod Irvine, spokesperson for the Torrance police, would neither confirm nor deny whether a Santa Monica military recruitment center was listed as a possible target, as reported recently on ABC World News Tonight.
Santa Monica Police Chief James Butts Jr. said he knew about the Torrance arrest through the intelligence community when he met with elected leaders in closed session on Aug. 9 and requested $2 million worth of additional security measures be taken throughout downtown Santa Monica, including surveillance cameras.
The Santa Monica police learned in July that a possible probe of the Santa Monica Pier was conducted by suspected Middle Eastern operatives who may be involved in a terrorist organization.
Though Patterson and Samana have no criminal history, records show that Washington, allegedly a former Rollin’ 60s gang member, served almost six years in prison for a 1999 assault and robbery in Orange County.
Both Washington and Patterson have pleaded not guilty to robbery charges in Los Angeles Superior Court. Patterson’s attorney, Winston McKesson, denies his client has connections to any extremist groups.
James is still serving time in California State Prison-Sacramento on a robbery conviction. (See related story on page 9)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 1, 2005. Read the original PDF.