PITTSBURGH — Prosecutors on Tuesday dropped a felony charge against a local community college student after a witness failed to show up to testify about an alleged bomb threat at the Downtown Amtrak station, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports.
Pittsburgh City Magistrate Dan Butler rescheduled a preliminary hearing on remaining misdemeanors against Mazen Mohamed Abdallah, 22, of Avondale Place, Highland Park, for Dec. 5.
Abdallah, a computer science student at the Community College of Allegheny County, remained in the Allegheny County Jail on $150,000 bond. Assistant District Attorney Anthony DeLuca declined comment on why he dropped a felony charge of risking a catastrophe, which carried a maximum seven-year prison sentence. DeLuca also declined to comment on why an employee at the Amtrak station failed to show up to testify at the preliminary hearing.
A subpoena was issued to ensure the witness will show up for the rescheduled hearing.
Police have said Abdallah arrived at the Liberty Avenue station about 9:30 p.m. Nov. 17 to catch a train to Chicago, where he said he planned to visit a cousin. At a check-in counter, he asked an employee if his two suitcases would be searched, police said. When the employee said no, Abdallah replied, “Well, there’s a bomb in the suitcase,” police said.
After the station was evacuated and a train from New York City halted, bomb technicians checked Abdallah’s luggage and found no explosives.
Abdallah’s uncle and aunt, who declined to be interviewed and declined to identify themselves, attended the hearing.
One of Abdallah’s lawyers, Louis J. Dell’Aquila, said he believes his client is being treated more harshly because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“I don’t think that there is any question that the public and the judicial system and everyone is overreacting,” Dell’Aquila said. “The system takes a hit because of that. But it all works out in the end.”
Dell’Aquilla said Abdallah is an American citizen who was born in the United States and raised in Egypt. He added that Abdallah returned to America to attend college and is living with the aunt and uncle.
DeLuca told the judge that the prosecution believes Abdallah may flee if released because he has minimal ties in the community.
The misdemeanor charges pending against Abdallah are: making a false alarm to the public safety, which carries a maximum five years in prison; making terroristic threats, which also carries a maximum of five years in prison; simple assault by physical menace, which carries a maximum of two years in prison; and disorderly conduct, which carries a maximum of one year in prison.