Fort Dix Six Enter Not Guilty Pleas

The judge will expedite the case and will set up special provisions for the media:

The six, who have been held without bail since their arrests last month, formally entered not guilty pleas during their arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Joel Schneider.

Immediately afterward, the defendants attended a status conference before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler, who said he would like their trial to begin in early October.

The judge signaled that he would be inclined to seat an anonymous jury if such a request were made.

To accommodate the intense media interest in the case, the judge said a special Web site would be created so news organizations could have access to court documents. An auxiliary courtroom also will be wired for audio and video so reporters could follow the case, and passwords would be issued to enable them to file their stories using the court's wireless Internet system, he said.

A federal grand jury last week indicted Mohamed Ibrahim Shnewer, 22, of Cherry Hill, brothers Dritan Duka, 28, Shain Duka, 26, and Eljvir Duka, 23, all of Cherry Hill, and Serdar Tatar, 23, of Philadelphia, on charges of conspiracy to murder members of the armed services. They could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.

Dritan and Shain Duka also were charged with possession of machine guns, stemming from their alleged purchase of three fully automatic AK-47s and four M-16s just before they were arrested May 7 by the FBI. All three Duka brothers were charged with possession of weapons by illegal immigrants.

The sixth defendant, Agron Abdullahu, 24, of Buena Vista Township, is charged with providing weapons to illegal immigrants, an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.