Pleads Not Guilty — Alleged ‘San Bernardino Shooting’ Gun Buyer Wants To Go To Trial

He pleads not guilty? Enrique Marquez told the court how he pleaded, on Wednesday. And his “not guilty” plea might have the families of the San Bernardino victims livid.

Sources say that the indictment hearing only lasted approximately five minutes. According to ABC-7 News, on Wednesday, January 6, Enrique Marquez turned the court when he pleaded not guilty. He pleads this way in opposition to his indictment, which shows him as a conspirator to the San Bernardino shooting, as well as a material provider to the two terrorists.

The source notes that it was a five-count indictment. When Enrique entered the court, his hands and feet were in shackles while he was dressed in an all-white jumpsuit. As it seems, Marquez also pleads not guilty because he’s facing up to 50 years in a federal prison for his alleged contribution to the domestic shooting.

However, although he pleads not guilty, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was able to gather a deeper-seeded plan which involved him with Syed Rizwan Farook. The county building wasn’t supposed to be the only target. As the source reports, in conversations with Farook, Enrique talked about murdering “motorists on a congested freeway” and slaughtering “students at a community college.” Yet those plans were never executed.

During 10 days of investigations and interrogations, the FBI was able to get the information out of Enrique. And he pleads not guilty? Maybe he pleads not guilty to, actually, purchasing the guns?

However, that might not line up with the report either. While Enrique pleads not guilty now, his past isn’t all-sunshine. According to ABC-7 News,

“Authorities said Marquez was not involved in the killings, but that his failure to warn authorities about Farook and his purchase of the guns had deadly consequences.

“Marquez and Farook were friends who grew up next door to each other in Riverside. Farook, 28, introduced Marquez to Islam as a teenager a decade ago and indoctrinated him in violent extremism, according to the FBI.”

This goes back to 2011 and 2012. There’s a history of violence and a terrorist mindset, years before the 2015 shooting. The source notes that Enrique purchased two firearms for Farook specifically during those years. Moreover, they intended to engage in bombing and shooting attacks on the campus of Riverside Community College. This, of course, is a school where the two attended classes.

But he pleads not guilty to conspiracy and material provision? The report goes on to mention that he bought the guns in his name because Farook looked too “middle-eastern” for the check. According to ABC-7 News, even after all of that, “prosecutors said there’s no evidence at this point that he knew about Syed Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik’s plans to open fire at the Inland Regional Center in December.”

Nevertheless, while he pleads not guilty, he faces two counts of firearm violations. He also faces counts of marriage fraud and falsifying information on immigration documents. As it turns out, Enrique Marquez lied to help keep a Russian woman in the States. Actually, for $200, he married her and lied by saying that he lives with her. $200 and a couple of guns is the going-rate for treason these days? Yet and still, he pleads not guilty.

All in all, this is a case of a U.S. born citizen who was influenced by the wrong crowd. His conscience probably pleads guilty. But until it can be proven in a court of law, “not guilty” is his stance.

The San Bernardino Sun states as follows.

“Federal Magistrate Sheri Pym assigned the case to Magistrate Jesus Bernal and set trial date for Feb. 23. A pretrial hearing was set for Feb. 8.”

What are your thoughts? In the midst of all the allegations, why do you think Enrique pleads not guilty? Feel free to express in the comments section.

[Photo by Bill Robles/AP Images]