A Jordanian man facing federal charges stemming from an arrest in Mokena with what police described as a backpack of Molotov cocktails pleaded not guilty Thursday at his initial appearance before a federal judge.
Hamed Alsaidi, 31, is charged with eight counts of possessing an unregistered destructive device, one for each of the eight Molotov cocktails police and prosecutors say he had on him when he was arrested Aug. 1. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000, prosecutors said.
Federal Judge Young B. Kim appointed a federal public defender to represent Alsaidi, who was escorted into the courtroom at the Dirksen Courthouse chained at the ankles. He was accompanied by an Arabic interpreter employed by the court.
“The purpose of today’s hearing is informational,” Kim told Alsaidi. “We’re going to go over the nature of the charge or charges pending against you, go over your basic rights and also determine what next steps should be.”
More Top Picks Ecobee Smartthermostat With Voice Control
Federal prosecutor Davis Shugrue asked that Alsaidi be detained pending trial “as the defendant is charged with a felony involving a destructive device.”
The detention hearing was scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sept. 14 at the Dirksen Courthouse in Chicago.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement website previously showed Alsaidi as being held in ICE detention in Bunker Hill, Indiana, at the Miami Correctional Facility. As of midday Thursday, the same website no longer returned any results for him.
Shugrue declined to comment on Alsaidi’s detention status.
After Alsaidi was arrested by the Mokena Police Department and charged by Will County prosecutors with unlawful use of weapons and obstructing an officer by providing a fake name, he was ordered released on conditions of electronic monitoring and home confinement by Will County Judge Theodore Jarz.
ICE had lodged a detainer with the Will County jail prior to Alsaidi’s release, but the Will County sheriff’s office said the Illinois Trust Act, which prohibits state law enforcement from coordinating with ICE, prevented them from complying.
Two days later, ICE said, Alsaidi was detained during “targeted enforcement operations” in Oak Forest, where federal prosecutors say he most recently lived. Oak Forest said it had no knowledge of ICE operations.
Alsaidi did not show up at his court date on state charges in Will County, as he was in federal custody. That case was continued until Oct. 5 at the Will County courthouse in Joliet.
The federal public defender who represented Alsaidi in court declined to comment.