Antonio Martinez pleads not guilty in Catonsville bomb plot

January 7, 2011 - 04:29 am

UPDATE 1:32 p.m.: BALTIMORE (AP) - A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Baltimore says a man accused of plotting to kill military personnel with a car bomb has pleaded not guilty.

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Marcia Murphy says Antonio Martinez appeared in U.S. District Court for an arraignment Friday and pleaded innocent.

The 21-year-old Martinez was caught in an FBI sting operation. Court documents show he expressed a desire to attack a military recruiting center in Catonsville and was given a phony bomb by an undercover agent. He was arrested after he tried to detonate the device.

Martinez is a recent convert to Islam and prefers to be addressed as Muhammad Hussain. His attorney has argued that Martinez was entrapped by the FBI and that agents planted the idea for the bomb plot in his mind.

He faces up to life in prison if convicted. A next court date was not set.

ORIGINAL POST: BALTIMORE (AP) - A man accused of plotting to kill military personnel with a car bomb is scheduled for a court appearance.

Antonio Martinez will appear in U.S. District Court for an arraignment at 10 a.m. Friday. He is expected to plead innocent.

The 21-year-old Martinez was caught in an FBI sting operation. Court documents show he expressed a desire to attack a military recruiting center in Catonsville and was given a phony bomb by an undercover agent.

He was arrested after he tried to detonate the device.

Martinez is a recent convert to Islam and prefers to be addressed as Muhammad Hussain. His attorney has argued that Martinez was entrapped by the FBI and that agents planted the idea for the bomb plot in his mind.

He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

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