Former USF student's explosives trial to start

Tag: Square Pipe Fuse Link

22-year-old Youssef Megahed and his friend 26-year-old Ahmed Mohamed were arrested last August. The two were engineering students at U.S.F. They were pulled over during a routine traffic stop in South Carolina. A deputy searched the vehicle they were riding in and said he found four pieces of PVC pipe filled with the ingredients for a low grade explosive along with fuses and an electric drill.

Mohamed has maintained that the items were just homemade fireworks while Megahed has said all along that the vehicle didn't even belong to him. He says it belongs to his brother. Both Megahed and Mohamed have been locked up since August as an ongoing FBI investigation allegedly revealed the two have links to terrorism.

Prosecutors have challenged US District Judge Steven Merryday's decision not to include some evidence and that was expected to possible create a  delay in the trial's start today. On Friday the US Attorney's office confirmed that Youssef Mega head's trial would take place today as planned.

Judge Merryday has said that if there's a delay in this trial today he may reconsider his decision to hold Megahed in custody and release him on bail. The trial is set to start at 11am in courtroom 15A at the Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse located at 801 North Florida Avenue.