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December 1, 2006 > News > Staffer pleads guilty to Taliban conspiracy

Staffer pleads guilty to Taliban conspiracy

By Beko Binder and David Brown | Thresher Editorial Staff

Kobie Williams, a former technician in Rice’s Civil and Environmental Engineering department who worked frequently with students and professors, surrendered himself to the FBI Tuesday and pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide support to the Taliban.

According to the indictment, Williams allegedly conspired with Adnan Mirza — a Pakistani citizen in the United States on an expired student visa — to aid the Taliban by sending $350 to Taliban fighters and their families, engaging in firearms training and planning to travel to the Middle East to fight against U.S. and Coalition forces.

The indictment alleges that Williams and Mirza trained with firearms in six different locations in Harris, Montgomery and Walker counties. The weapons charges involved three rifles, a shotgun and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Williams, who was also studying computer science at the University of Houston-Downtown, is scheduled for sentencing Feb. 23 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Mirza faces the same penalty but was also separately charged with three counts of illegal possession of firearms because illegal aliens and individuals possessing nonimmigrant visas are not allowed to own weapons. He faces a possible 10 years in prison per count and a possible total of 35 years in prison. Yesterday, HCC officials said Mirza’s I-20 form showed him to still be in the United States legally.

Williams’ attorney, John Floyd, said he has been working with his client for about six weeks and cannot disclose whether or not Williams had cooperated with authorities prior to his plea. However, Floyd said he and government lawyers had discussed the indictment beforehand.

“The fact that he entered a plea on the same day the case was unsealed makes clear there was communication [between lawyers],” Floyd said.

Floyd also declined to say if Williams had helped authorities or if he had led them to Mirza. Floyd said he thinks Williams pled guilty because he decided he had gone too far and wanted to ensure no one got hurt.

“My belief is that Kobie had a change of heart during this affair,” Floyd said. “[I think] through introspection he decided that what he was doing was an improper way of expressing his beliefs and decided for the safety of Americans he should come forward and tell the authorities what he knew.”

Director of News and Media Relations BJ Almond said Williams resigned from Rice last week for personal reasons.

Faculty, staff and some students who worked with Williams declined to comment, but other students expressed their shock of the indictment. They described Williams as friendly and always helpful.

“[He was a] very nice, quiet, mild mannered guy who was fun to talk to and was very good natured and friendly,” Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate student Ross Gordon said.

Gordon, who interacted with Williams through several labs and projects, said Williams is a good person who was always willing to help on projects. Gordon said as a department technician, Williams helped CEVE professors run their labs; he was also responsible for helping professors with computing and mechanical needs for research projects. Gordon said Williams had been at Rice since Gordon began attending Rice four and a half years ago.

An undergraduate student, who requested to remain anonymous, said he reacted with disbelief when he heard about Williams’ arrest and is reluctant to draw any conclusions.

“I’m giving the benefit of doubt to a friend and trusted teacher,” he said. “He couldn’t hurt a fly. He’s really nice guy, and I still believe that. Obviously, I haven’t seen testimony — I could stand to be corrected, but it’s not likely.”

The student said he interacted often with Williams, who would help students on projects on his own time. The student said that he knew Williams is a Muslim from several conversations but that he never discussed his political views. The student said he hopes the indictment reflects a bargain with investigators rather than a true confession.

Floyd said he believes Williams has shown significant remorse and a transformation in his beliefs and that he should not have to spend any time in prison.

“Kobie’s a good guy,” Floyd said. “Everyone makes mistakes and gets carried away. He’s someone who truly deserves a second chance — at this point in his life, he is absolutely no threat to anyone. He’s truly a good guy always willing to lend a helping hand.”

Floyd said he has become acquainted with the American Muslim community through volunteer work for the American Civil Liberties Union, in which he helped Muslims solicited for interrogation by the FBI.

“There is a certain segment of the Muslim population, especially among younger men, who are very upset about affairs in the Middle East and the current administration’s handling of those affairs,” Floyd said. “They truly believe that defending those Muslim countries invaded by outsiders is not only justified under Islamic law but is obligatory. I can’t tell you whether Kobie reached that level, but I know from researching these issues that it’s not a widespread or commonly held belief among Muslims in this country, but does exist among a certain small segment of the youth.”

—Risa Gordon contributed to this article.

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