Egyptian pleads guilty to fraud

An Egyptian who authorities believed may have been planning an attack, but was not charged with terrorism, pleaded guilty Monday to fraud.

Mahmoud Maawad, 29, was ordered held without bond until sentencing July 14 and will be subject to deportation after any prison term. He has been in the United States illegally since 1999, when his visitor's visa expired, authorities said.

Maawad was arrested in September on suspicion of using a depleted bank account to make Internet purchases. He also was charged with using a fake Social Security number to enroll at the University of Memphis, where he was a student when arrested.

He pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining merchandise from a company that sells aviation-related training materials and equipment.

He drew authorities' attention when a search of his apartment turned up charts on the layout of the Memphis airport and DVDs on pilot training, including one titled "How an Airline Captain Should Look and Act."

The federal public defender's office, which is representing Maawad, has refused to comment.

Investigators believed he may have been planning a terrorist act, court records show. No evidence of direct links to terrorism was presented in court.

Associated Press