Lakhani pleads not guilty in missile plot

[missile_bender]

from PTI

A British arms dealer of Indian origin Hemant Lakhani has pleaded not guilty to charges that he tried to sell missiles to terrorists to shoot down American airliners and plotted to procure a 'dirty bomb'.

Lakhani, 69, being held without bail since his arrest in August last year, did not speak during the ten-minute hearing and the 'not guilty' plea was entered on his behalf by his lawyer Henry Klingeman as his wife Kusum watched from the public gallery.

The US District Court judge in Newark in neighbouring state of New Jersey fixed April 26 for pretrial oral arguments in the case.

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Remember this entrapment case? He was arrested after buying a fake (dud) missile from a fake Russian officer. The U.S. allowed him to bring the missile into the country and when he allegedly tried to sell it to an FBI agent he was arrested.

This is complicated. Although the man may have criminal thoughts, he didn't really do anything. The missile wasn't real, so he didn't buy anything illegal, and didn't try to sell anything illegal, even though he may have thought he was. He seems only to be guilty of thought crimes. I think he's just a bumbler.

Unembedded.com