Legal question about Ft Hood arrest

[getsome]

I see that Ft. Hood pfc Naser Jason Abdo was arrested for being in possession of bomb making materials consisting of 6 lbs smokeless powder, several boxes of shotgun shells and a pistol magazine...In his hotel room they found a battery powered alarm clock....He will be tried as a terrorist in Federal Court and if convicted will spend many many years in jail as he should because he has admitted to Police his intentions...My question is this, If he is being charged by the Feds for being in possession of bomb making materials then anybody that handloads, myself included is also guilty of the same thing...I wonder if they going to use this case to come after law abiding citizens who handload and also have these materials in their house because I have all the above and much more in stored supplys and assembled ammo as do most people here...I can see the present administration concocting a story like this to come after citizen gun ownership...I have always figured they would go after the ammo side of the equation as it would be easier and effective in removing firearms from private citizens and if we are all in Federal Prison for having these materials it will be hard to fight um....Any thoughts from ya'll on this?....

[Bawanna]

I wouldn't put it past em. They'll try any low down slithering tactic they can think up. Don't give em any more idea's.

As for being in Federal Prison and not able to fight back, I'm not going back, they'll never take me alive. Although Federal Pens are pretty cushy far as prisons go.

[TheTman]

Well, first of all the guy was AWOL, so he was already in trouble. I doub't if you are awol, you may have several lbs of powder, but you also have a loading press, and boxes of reloaded ammo. He had none of that. You probably also have empty brass, primers, and bullets, so it would be obvious you are a legitimate reloading enthusiast.
I figure you're safe until such time as they make reloading illegal. I don't see how a jury would convict you of bomb making, if you have all those reloading components, and don't have any short lengths of pipes with the ends threaded for caps or anything like that on hand. But that's just my opinion.

[getsome]

I hope you're right and he was AWOL which is a military crime but the fact is that he is being held for being in possession of said materials and the fact that he didn't have a loading press didn't enter into the investigation and so far as me having powder, primers, brass and bullets could be called shrapnel for bombs and having a press and scales could be called explosive making tools by a sleazy DA and to quote John Dillinger..."Never trust your life to a semi automatic handgun or to a Federal Prosecutor"...If Presbobama gets elected to a 2nd term you can bet your banana that gun control will be high on his list for hope and change to the sheepeople's Constitutional Rights and using Homeland Security as a tool to do so...:mad:

[crazymailman]

I had heard a report that he had also tried to buy pistols at the same store that Hassan bought his. If that is true, it makes me think that even though he was AWOL they were watching him to see what he was up to.

[MW surveyor]

Shhhhhh! The black helicopters are on their way.

Just kidding.

Yeah, but from what I read, he made the stupid mistake of actually not knowing what he had. Not very bright buying all of that stuff in one place and especially where the previous crazy bought his gun.

[getsome]

I agree, the kid wasn't real smart in how he went about his plan and I'm very glad they caught him before he did something really stupid ...The gun store/former Police Officer did a great job to ID a potential problem and there is no doubt this dude had a plan and was up to something....My only worry is that the Guv may use this new found tool against legal gun owners and make the sale of reloading supplys illegal or start requiring a backround check and license to purchase these materials in the future....I sure hope I'm wrong but I DON'T trust my Government anymore....

[Longitude Zero]

It is a tool that LEO's have been using for decades. It is the "total pattern of behavior" that forms the basis of reasonable suspicion elevating to probable cause. It is not any one, or two factors that will get somebody in trouble. It is the TOTALITY of CIRCUMSTANCES.

I have lead pipes with screw on pipes but no poweder...no crime
I have smokeless powder but no pipes...no crime
I have smokeless powder and threaded pipes with ends...reasonable suspicion that can be built into probable cause with furhter investigation.

[getsome]

Thats good to know...I only hope if I get sent to the Big House that it's where Detrich works so I'll know somebody...:p