British Businessman Convicted in U.S. Weapons Case

[Freddie Stubbs]

By Christine Kearney
NEWARK, N.J. (Reuters) - A British businessman was found guilty on Wednesday of trying to aid terrorists for selling a shoulder-launched missile to an informant posing as a militant seeking to attack the United States.

Hemant Lakhani, 69, a British citizen born in India, was found guilty of five criminal charges by a U.S. District Court jury in Newark, New Jersey, that began deliberating on Tuesday.

Lakhani was arrested in August 2003 after a two-year international sting operation and accused of trying to provide material support to terrorists, unlawful arms sales, smuggling and two counts of money laundering.

His arrest was among the first terrorism arrests on U.S. soil after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. U.S. authorities described him as a major arms dealer and the case as a major blow in the war against terrorism. Defense lawyers portrayed him as a hapless businessman caught in a setup.

more: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8317922