Man Who Left Fake Bomb Outside of Wrigley Stadium to Plead Guilty
By Ellen Cannon
Sami Samir Hassoun, 23, planted a fake bomb he thought was real in a garbage can outside Wrigley Field. In addition he spoke openly about poisoning Lake Michigan, bombing a skyscraper, and assassinating the then Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley. Yesterday he agreed to change his plea to guilty under an agreement worked out with prosecutors in the hope that this will impact the legal consequences of his actions. At this time little is known as to what he will plead guilty to. However, it has been announced that a hearing to allow Mr. Hassoun to change his plea to guilty will take place in Chicago on February 14, 2012. The date was set by U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman.
Sami Samir Hassoun, is a Lebanese citizen living in Chicago for about three years. He was charged with one count each of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted use of an explosive.
He was arrested after planting “a fake explosive devise”, which he thought was real, in a trash bin near Sluggers World Class Bar located a few steps from Wrigley Field.” According to Sophia Tareen, “An FBI informant tipped investigators about Hassoun nearly a year ago. The FBI agent in charge, Robert Grant, stated that “Hassoun acted alone and that the undercover agents told him they were from California and unaffiliated with any one group.” Mr. Grant also noted that he “believed that the agents were ready to give him money if he carried out the attack.(www.huffingtonpost9/21/10)
Experts on domestic terror cases agree that there is a maximum penalty of life in prison should he plead guilty on attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. (www.dailymail.co.12/20/12)
Karen Greenberg, director of the Center on National Security at Fordham Law School suggests that irrespective of the bomb being a fake, Mr. Hassoun thought the bomb was real. Consequently, “There is a very realistic chance of a very high sentence after the trial.” She notes that “out of 42 defendants charged with using or attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction since the 9/11 attacks, there has been just one acquittal; 15 defendants have been convicted, five have had the charges dropped, and 21 of the cases are still pending.
Fear of planting information that other would- be terrorists might use can and often does result in authorities avoiding the prospect of a trail. It can reveal, directly or indirectly, information that others can employ in the future in an effort to cause great harm. Professor of homeland security at Northwestern University, Michael Fagel, agrees. He said, “Maybe the same methods can be used again or terrorists can learn from another guy’s mistakes.” (AP: www.washingtonpost.com 12/20/11)
Prosecutors also want to avoid “close scrutiny” in such cases, according to Ms. Greenberg. There often are questions about entrapment by law enforcement officials that can arise. Defense attorneys for Mr. Hassoun, will argue that their client was duped into these actions by federal agents.
Prosecutors will argue that entrapment did not occur. According to prosecutor Joel Hammerman, Mr. Hassoun was “deadly serious about the plot and it was “not a matter of talk and bravado.(www.washingtonpost.com12/20/11)
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