A 28-year-old Ypsilanti man is in federal custody on gun charges, but could be involved in international terrorism.
Yousef Mohammed Ramadan was arrested at Metro Airport just as he was about to fly out to Amman, Jordan with his wife and children. According to the feds, he lied about what guns he owned and where he kept them.
He’s currently charged with counts of knowingly possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number which had moved in interstate commerce. That is a 5 year felony.
The feds are not discussing this specific case.
Former FBI Agent in Charge Andy Arena tells 7 Action News the feds probably had Ramadan under watch before he showed up at the airport.
“He’s almost spoon feeding them the probable cause,” Arena told 7 Investigator Jim Kiertzner.
According to the attached court document, the feds found two handguns (pictured) inside a self-storage unit in Ann Arbor with the serial numbers scratched off.
complaint by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
The unit was rented in Ramadan’s wife’s name. And Ramadan was seen on surveillance video driving into the facility in what appeared to be his sister’s car. Neither of them have been arrested.
The FBI Counterterrorism Squad knows the danger of terrorism first hand after working on the case of the “Underwear Bomber” who tried to blow up a flight into Detroit Metro Airport from Amsterdam on Christmas Day 2009.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is serving 4 life sentences in that case.
It is not clear what additional evidence the feds may have against Ramadan. He goes before a judge on Tuesday in Federal Court in Detroit and more evidence could be presented as continuing detention will be an issue.
But Arena believes the feds knew about him before he showed up at the airport on August 15.
“Something caused them to look at this guy, travel patterns, contacts, social media activity, something,” Arena said.
