(AP) A former American Airlines mechanic who prosecutors say may have some links to terrorists pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he sabotaged an aircraft with 150 people aboard.
The plea came at a hearing in Miami federal court for Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani, 60. He’s charged with deliberately disabling a key navigation component inside the Boeing 737 at Miami International Airport in July because, he told investigators, he was upset an ongoing labor dispute was denying him overtime work.
Prosecutors unveiled evidence earlier this week indicating Alani, an Iraqi-American, may be sympathetic to terrorist groups such as the Islamic State. Alani purportedly told co-workers his brother is a member of the extremist group, stated that he hoped Allah would harm non-Muslims and the FBI reported finding violent Islamic State videos on his cellphone.
