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U.S. Marshal Peter J. Elliott: â€œMurad Topalian was lucky that he was convicted for the illegal activities before September 11â€- Exclusive

U.S. Marshal Peter J. Elliott: â€œMurad Topalian was lucky that he was convicted for the illegal activities before September 11â€<font color=red>- Exclusive</font>

11 March 2008 10:35 (UTC +04:00)

Brief inquiry. Peter Elliot is from third generation of Elliott family working for the law-enforcement bodies. Later 1990s, he led five-year investigation of explosives and weapons smuggling and proved their belonging to that time leader of US-Armenian National Committee Murad Topalian. Marshal Elliott proved explosives found in Ohio belonged to Murad Topalian and he used it against Turkish representation to UN in 1980 and Turkish Consulate General in California in 1981. He clarified that people committed terrorist attacks against Turkish diplomatic missions were under Murad Topalianâ€™s influence. Peter Elliott received a letter of gratitude from President George Bush, while ending the investigation. President Bush appointed him marshal for the Northern district of Ohio. He was named as â€œThe best policeâ€ in 2007 by the US Association of Police Organizations.

- On February 27, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) spread information that a week before Murad Topolian, former Chairman of ANCA, whom you arrested in 2001 for the serious crimes, met with Congressman Howard Berman(Acting Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, 28 district of California). What do you think members of Congress should know before meeting with the people like Murad Topalian?
- I would say that they should know the background of individual, who they meet with. In this case, this individual was convicted back in 2001 for having nearly 200 pounds of explosive, automatic firearms and had knowledge how to use it to bomb the UN in NY in 1980. He was convicted and went to the jail for that. I think that in any time my recommendation would be to know the background of the individual who you are meeting with.
- Do you think that Murad Topalian, as a person who lost his right to vote after being convicted for the serious felony, meet with member of Congress, who actually works with the people who can vote?
- I believe he lost his right to vote when he was convicted in felony. And the facts are the facts. The bottom-line is that he was convicted in the federal court of law and had knowledge how to bomb a building. And it happened before 9/11. I remember the case very visibly. I worked five straight years and spent hours after hours of investigating the case and I know a lot about what this organization did and who they did it to. So my advice to anybody would be to know person you are going to meet prior to meeting and know the background of those individuals. We cannot stop people from meeting other peoples, but for security reasons people should have knowledge about the persons they are meeting with.
- Murad Topalian received 3.6 years of prison for what he did. What would be his sentence if the case was scrutinized after 9/11?
- In my opinion, it would be much more substantial sentence. In fact the judge, who handled this case, told me that Murad Topalian was very lucky that this did not happen after 9/11. The laws obviously changed after 9/11 that would be whole different game today. I would be willing to guess that it would be extremely more significant and he would not be out of prison today.