GPS glitch allows terrorism suspect to remain free on bond

Associated Press

TOLEDO

One of four men accused of raising money for a former al-Qaida leader can remain free on bond after it turned out a GPS glitch made it look like he had violated terms of his release, a federal judge in Ohio said Tuesday.

Federal prosecutors wanted Sultane Room Salim sent back to prison after saying it appeared he had briefly left a Columbus mosque during prayer services in January while he was out on bond.

U.S. marshals took Salim into custody in early February.

But U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary noted that an official with the company that provided the GPS device concluded it had malfunctioned and there was no evidence Salim left the mosque.

Court officials in charge of monitoring Salim said he also stayed in the mosque’s parking lot for close to 20 minutes another time in January.

But the judge said that incident was a minor violation and did not warrant returning Salim to prison.

Federal prosecutors did not object to the judge’s decision to drop their request to revoke Salim’s bond.