Can Mahmoud A. Omar, a bankrupt, convicted felon who worked undercover for the FBI help the government makes its case in an alleged plot to attack Ft. Dix? Or will he prove to be too much of a con man to give the case credibility? Jury selection was completed last week and opening statements are scheduled later in the month.
By George Anastasia
Philadelphia Inquirer
Five years ago, he was a bankrupt felon with a conviction for passing bad checks.
He was facing deportation.
And he was living in a subsidized, low-income apartment complex in Paulsboro, scratching for cash by trying to sell used cars from the complex’s parking lot.
Today he is the central figure in the Fort Dix terrorism trial, an FBI informant who may have received more than $3,000 a month to wear a body wire and record conversations.
Mahmoud A. Omar, whose immigration problems appear to have gone the way of his financial difficulties, spent more than a year working undercover in the case.
While some details about his role have surfaced in pretrial documents, Omar’s actions and motivation will be the focus of what could be the most important testimony in the high-profile trial.
