'NATO 3' Defendant Wants To Resolve Terrorism Case Here First
CHICAGO (STMW) -- One of the accused "NATO 3" wants to resolve terrorism charges in Cook County before returning to Florida to deal with a pending case there.
Shuffling in with his hands shackled to his stomach, Brent Vincent Betterly appeared Monday morning before Judge Donald Panarese in a yellow jumpsuit, his blond hair in long dreadlocks.
Panarese asked him if he wished to go to Florida to face pending charges in Broward County.
"Yes," Betterly replied.
"Not at this point," interjected one of his attorneys, Paul Brayman.
Brayman said after the brief hearing at the Criminal Courthouse that Betterly wants to resolve the Cook County case before returning to Florida.
Along with Brian Church, 20, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; and Jared Chase, 24, of Keene, N.H.; Betterly, 24, of Oakland Park, Mass., was arrested days before the NATO summit began in Chicago, accused of hatching a plot to make Molotov cocktails to use on President Barack Obama's campaign headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's home and police stations.
He is charged with possession of an explosive or incendiary device, conspiracy to commit terrorism and terrorism/providing materials. He returns to court June 12 on the terrorism case and on June 28 on the Florida case.
Betterly was being held in Cook County Jail on a $1.5 million bond until Friday, when Judge Edward Harmening revoked bond because of an arrest warrant issued in Broward County, Fla.
Broward County officials issued the no-bail warrant, saying the Chicago arrest violated the conditions of Betterly's bond there on charges of breaking into a school and having a pool party.
Betterly's Florida attorney, Andrew Coffey, said Broward County does not plan to seek extradition for his client before his trial in Chicago.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
