CAMDEN – Five men arrested last month for allegedly plotting an armed assault on Fort Dix in New Jersey were indicted today, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

The five defendants are charged with conspiracy and other charges related to their plans to kill as many soldiers at the Army base as possible. A sixth man was indicted for aiding and abetting the illegal possession of firearms by three members of the group.

The charges and detail in the Indictment mostly mirror those brought in the original criminal Complaint that was unsealed on May 8. One new count against two of the defendants charges them with unlawful possession of machine guns – the AK-47s and M-16s they purchased and took possession of just before they were arrested by Special Agents of the FBI.

The next step in the legal process is for the six defendants to appear for arraignment on the Indictment on a date yet to be scheduled, most likely next week. All have remained in custody without bail since their arrests the night of May 7.

“We intend to continue a vigorous prosecution of these defendants,” said Christie. “Anyone who would plan such an attack should expect no less.”

The six defendants and the charges against them are as follows:

Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, 22, of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the uniformed services (maximum statutory penalty of any term of years up to life in federal prison).

• Dritan Duka, 28, of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the uniformed services; unlawful possession of machine guns (maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison), two counts of being an illegal alien in possession of firearms (maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison).

• Shain Duka, 26, of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the uniformed services; unlawful possession of machine guns, two counts of being an illegal alien in possession of firearms.

• Eljvir Duka, 23, of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the uniformed services, one count of being an illegal alien in possession of firearms. • Serdar Tatar, 23, of Philadelphia: conspiracy to murder members of the uniformed services.

• Agron Abdullahu, 24, of Buena Vista Township, Atlantic County: aiding and abetting the Duka brothers’ illegal possession of weapons (maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison).

The charge of unlawful possession of machine guns against Dritan and Shain Duka stems from their purchase of three fully automatic AK-47s and four fully automatic M-16s at a residence in Cherry Hill. After the purchase from a cooperating witness, the Duka brothers were arrested by Special Agents of the FBI. The other defendants were arrested at other locations at about the same time.

For further details on the arrests and alleged plot to kill U.S. soldiers, see the original criminal Complaints and news release and today’s Indictment by following links at the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Affairs website: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/press/2007releases.html

Despite indictment, all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Christie credited the Special Agents of the FBI's Philadelphia Division and the FBI South Jersey Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge J.P. Weis, in Philadelphia, for investigation of the case.

Christie and Weis also thanked investigators with member agencies of the FBI South Jersey JTTF, which is comprised of the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of the Acting Prosecutor Joshua M. Ottenberg, NJ State Police, under the direction of Col. Joseph "Rick" Fuentes, Superintendent, the Delaware River Port Authority Police, under the direction of Chief Vincent Borrelli, Philadelphia Division of ICE, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John P. Kelleghan.

Additionally, Christie and Weis would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance and support in making the arrests: the Cherry Hill Police Department, Cherry Hill Fire Department, Camden County Sheriff's Department, Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Mt. Laurel Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

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Eljvir Duka: Troy Archie, Esq., Camden
Shain Duka: Michael Riley, Esq., Moorestown
Dritan Duka: Michael Huff, Esq., Camden
Shnewer: Rocco Cipparone, Esq., Haddon Heights
Abdullahu: Lisa Lewis, Esq., Federal Public Defender’s Office, Camden