Tampa Grand Jury Requests DNA From Goose Creek Suspect

A federal grand jury in Tampa is asking for DNA and hair samples from a University of South Florida student jailed four weeks ago in South Carolina on explosives charges, his attorney said.

Andrew Savage said in a phone interview Wednesday night that he had no indication why the samples were being sought from his client, Youssef Megahed.

The news comes as the grand jury heard testimony Wednesday from people who have connections to Megahed and to another USF student arrested at the same time, Ahmed Mohamed.

Accompanied by attorneys, at least three people entered the grand jury area of the U.S. District Courthouse on North Florida Avenue in downtown Tampa. They were the owner of a home where Mohamed planned to rent a room, the landlord's son, and a Muslim community spokesman. All three later declined comment to a reporter.

Megahed and Mohamed, were pulled over for speeding Aug. 4 about seven miles from the Goose Creek Naval Weapons Station, which houses a military prison for enemy combatants.

The men were charged with possession of an incendiary or explosive device, based in part on items found in the trunk of their car. Mohamed said they were carrying fireworks.

One week later, Aug. 11, the FBI searched a home at 12402 Pampas Place in Tampa, owned by Noor and Ana Salhab. Authorities said the search was related to the case involving the two students.

Questions abound over what exactly Megahed and Mohamed were doing near the Goose Creek NWS with the devices in their possession.

So, what exactly does CAIR have to do with all this? Well, this for starters:

Also appearing before the grand jury Wednesday was Ahmed Bedier, who has been a spokesman for the Megahed family. Bedier is executive director of the Tampa chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations and a frequent media spokesman for Muslims and Islamic causes. He was accompanied by attorney Lyann Goudie and appeared to be in the grand jury area for about an hour. Bedier declined to answer questions about his testimony, saying he wanted to check with the national headquarters of CAIR about what he was allowed to say. Bedier has called for fairness in the investigation of the students. He has stopped short of vouching for them.”

Why is Bedier testifying before the grand jury?

Via Patterico's DRJ