To: Selectric II who wrote (20452 ) 11/20/2001 2:09:49 AM From: KLP Respond to There is another article that might be of interest-- an expansion of the false ID and the hijackers, and the illegal alien/aliens......N.Va. Man Charged in Fraud Case Agus Budiman, an Indonesian citizen who lived in Hamburg before coming to the U.S. in October 2000, is being held without bond, according to documents filed in Alexandria federal court. He is charged with helping a friend from Germany exploit a now-closed legal loophole to obtain a Virginia identification card Nov. 4, 2000. But sources familiar with the investigation said authorities are interested in Budiman because he had contact with people in Germany who are associated with the group tied to Mohamed Atta, the man authorities believe led the hijacking and crashes of four commercial airliners Sept. 11.sources cautioned that they do not have complete information about Budiman's connection to the al Qaeda terrorist network. The identification document charge, which carries up to 15 years in prison, allows federal authorities to put legal pressure on Budiman and keep him locked up, they said.German police have issued warrants for three additional men suspected of belonging to Atta's terrorist cell. German authorities say they also have five other men from the city under surveillance because they are suspected of being part of a larger Islamic extremist network. Budiman, who lived for a time with his brother in suburban Maryland, has worked for a year as a takeout delivery driver, in violation of his visitor visa, according to an FBI affidavit. He was jailed on immigration charges Oct. 30 and charged yesterday with identification document fraud.Until Sept. 21, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles allowed applicants to prove Virginia residence with a notarized form cosigned by a Virginia resident. Budiman is charged with falsely signing such a form for Mohammed Belfas, who traveled with him from Germany to this area. Belfas then used the document to obtain a state identification card. Property records show that Budiman lives in Alexandria. He told U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry R. Poretz that he has an attorney. The lawyer he named did not return phone messages left at his office and home yesterday. Khalid Al-Draibi was stopped by the Manassas Park police late Sept. 11 The Saudi Arabian citizen immediately drew suspicion because he had an Arabic flight manual and drivers licenses from several states in his car and said he had taken flight lessons, according to court documents. But Al-Draibi, 32, passed an FBI polygraph test. Yesterday, he pleaded guilty to an unrelated visa fraud charge under an agreement that will likely net him less than a year in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 18. Al-Draibi acknowledged lying on a Jan. 27 application for a tourist visa. Victor M. Lopez-Flores pleaded guilty to reentering the country after deportation and identification document fraud, admitting that he and an accomplice helped two hijackers fraudulently obtain Virginia identification cards. pleaded guilty to two offenses that could net him a combined 35 years in prison. In a statement filed with the plea, Lopez-Flores admitted he helped at least 20 out-of-state undocumented immigrants obtain state identification cards and drivers' licenses. according to the statement of facts.washingtonpost.com Authorities have said none of the four had any advance knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks.
