Filings by federal prosecutors confirm that Abdullatif Aldosary -- the Iraqi refugee accused of detonating an "explosive device" outside the Social Security Administration building in Casa Grande in November -- is suspected of killing a man just days before the bombing.
New Times first reported the murder allegation in May, although neither police nor the County Attorney's Office would verify it.
See also:
-Abdullatif Aldosary, Alleged Casa Grande Bomber, Now a Murder Suspect?
-Why Did Paul Gosar Do Nothing About "Known Terrorist" in District?
Federal prosecutors recently asked that a judge dismiss a couple federal charges against Aldosary for the bombing, after learning that state charges were being filed by the Pinal County Attorney's Office.
"On July 11, 2013, the United States Attorney's Office learned that the defendant had been indicted in Pinal County on July 10, 2013, for Arson of an Occupied Structure and related charges," the motion says. "The United States Attorney's Office is also aware that the defendant is the primary suspect in a homicide which occurred in Pinal County."
A judge granted the motion to dismiss two of the five federal charges against Aldosary.
Word of Aldosary's alleged involvement in a murder came from a source with knowledge of the murder who filled us in on the condition of anonymity.
Orlando Requena, 26, was working the overnight shift at Arizona Grain in Maricopa on November 27 when a man in a ski mask approached him about 2:30 a.m. and shot him dead.
No arrest was made. A week later, authorities raided the Coolidge home of Aldosary and arrested him for allegedly detonating an explosive device outside the Casa Grande Social Security Administration office a few days earlier, on November 30. No one was injured in the explosion, but debris landed more than 100 feet away from the spot of the detonation, and Aldosary even lit his own car on fire in the blast and drove off with his car ablaze, according to the federal complaint.
There was never any indication that the two events were related until we got word from the source. The Pinal County Attorney's Office didn't confirm or deny the claim, but said, "The Pinal County Attorney's Office remains in contact with Mr. Requena's family and is making certain they know our intentions to obtain justice for their family."
The source told us that Aldosary had a temporary job at Arizona Grain prior to the shooting.
The murder allegation certainly made the case seem more bizarre, but it did nothing to add to allegations of terrorism.
Although the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the bombing of a federal building, there has been no indication from the feds that this was an act of terrorism.
However, Republican Congressman Paul Gosar has referred to Aldosary as a "known terrorist," and was asking federal officials why a "known terrorist" was allowed to live in his district -- all this despite the fact that Gosar's staff attempted to help Aldosary obtain a green card the year prior.
Aldosary was not actually a "known terrorist," but his application had been denied because, according to legislation passed by Congress, Aldosary had "engaged in terrorism activity."
Aldosary's "terrorism activity" was his involvement in a 1991 uprising against the regime of Saddam Hussein, which was egged on by the U.S. government under President George H.W. Bush.
The Department of Homeland Security just recently created an exemption under that immigration law for Iraqis who participated in those uprisings over a one-month period, and a government source told New Times in the weeks after the bombing that Aldosary met this exemption, and his green-card case was re-opened.
Aldosary certainly has an odd history, but none of it seems to be related to terrorism.
Aldosary did a few months in prison several years ago in a harassment case.
According to a minute entry from the court proceedings, Aldosary sent letters to the construction company and its employees -- despite an existing restraining order against him -- and two of those letters "were accompanied by sexually explicit photographs."
The owner of the company believed Aldosary "perhaps had ties to terrorist organizations," although a judge noted that he wasn't charged with any such conduct.
In August, Aldosary was arrested at a gym in Casa Grande. Aldosary allegedly "displayed pornographic pictures and struck a man," according to a blurb published in the Casa Grande Dispatch at the time, although police refused to elaborate on the details of that incident after the bombing.
The three federal charges that remain against Aldosary, which are related to Aldosary being a felon in possession of a firearm.
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