Schiller Park Mother Accused Of Aiding ISIS Makes First Court Appearance
(CBS) -- A Schiller Park mother will spend the weekend in federal custody, following her arrest on charges of providing material support to ISIS. WBBM's Bob Roberts reports that the woman appeared briefly before a federal magistrate.
Mediha Salkicevic declined the use of an interpreter and spoke in clear English before magistrate judge Jeffrey Cole, asking if she could be freed on bond in order to drive herself to St. Louis to face the charges there. Cole will take up the matter on Monday.
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Attorney Andrea Gambino refused to discuss the case outside of court except to say that no one should rush to a conclusion about guilt.
"Everybody should remember that it is really disturbing when press reports make it sound like a person is guilty before they have even had a chance to go to court," Gambino said.
Salkicevic is accused of raising and wiring money used to arm and equip a fellow Bosnian fighting for ISIS in Syria. Her co-defendants allegedly bought the equipment in a Missouri surplus store. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison.
CBS 2 Security Consultant Ross Rice says, "Anyone can become radicalized. You don't know what switch is gonna get tripped or what trigger is gonna be set off in someone's mind where they're gonna say 'Hey, I wanna be part of this.'"
Six Bosnian immigrants, including Salkicevic, have been charged in the alleged plot. Three of the suspects are from St. Louis County, Missouri, one is from Utica, New York and one is from Rockford, Illinois.
