From Wall St. to Prosecuting Terrorists After an About-Face

Jeffrey Knox, was a 28-year-old attorney practicing at a big firm on Wall Street when the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks hit. The attacks prompted him to reevaluate things.

"In the months following 9/11, I would read about the U.S. military action in Afghanistan and guys my age putting their lives on the line, and there I was sitting in my comfortable Manhattan law office," Knox recalled. "While I loved my job, I knew I wanted to do something to serve my country."

His desire to make a difference led him to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn where he worked his way up to become chief of the Violent Crimes and Terrorism division. In this capacity, Knox has played a lead role, prosecuting significant cases such as the pending case against Najibullah Zazi, the young al-Qaeda-linked Afghan immigrant indicted last month for allegedly plotting an attack in the United States.

Standing before a federal judge in a Brooklyn federal courtroom last month, Knox charged that Zazi was part of a bombing conspiracy that was "international in scope," and disclosed that the government intended to use Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act materials and other evidence in its case against the airport shuttle driver from Denver.

Former counterterrorism officials have described the terrorism case as one of the most serious in years. Patrick Rowan, former chief of the Justice Department's national security division, said, "Not that I can think of since the first World Trade Center have we had al-Qaeda-trained bomb-makers mixing explosives in the United States."

Knox has proven that federal courts can effectively deal with cases involving alleged terrorists. Fair trials for such suspects that uphold constitutional protections ensure that "justice prevails and the public is protected," Knox said.

For instance, in the case of Bryant Neal Vinas, a 26-year-old Long Island man who pled guilty to conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, Vinas gave counterterrorism officials "valuable information" about several senior al-Qaeda operatives and their organization in Pakistan.

Another case Knox worked on involved the arrest of four men charged with plotting to detonate fuel storage tanks and the connecting pipeline at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City¿an explosive assault intended to rival the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Beginning in 2006, Knox was involved in an 18-month investigation of the suspected bombing plot, employing the use of cooperating witnesses and undercover agents, body wiretaps and other forms of electronic, aerial and satellite surveillance. The case is set for trial next year.

Knox has also participated in groundbreaking investigations and prosecutions of extremist groups, such as Hamas and the Liberation Tigers and supporters of the Iraqi insurgency.

Benton Campbell, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, called Knox one of the "preeminent terrorism prosecutors in the country," adding that he is "completely committed to the mission" and "a consummate courtroom advocate."

Greg Andres, chief of the criminal division in Brooklyn, said that some prosecutors can only hope to have one "career-making" case, but Knox already has worked on many.

"In only a few years with the Justice Department, he has distinguished himself far and above the rest," Andres said.

Knox said the work "can be very exciting." At the same time, he said, it is sobering because "you realize that you're dealing with serious stuff."

The terrorism prosecutor said his approach is simple: it requires a "roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty" work ethic.

"In order to effectively build a case for a successful conviction, you have to be on the ground, right in the middle of all the action yourself," Knox said.

This article was jointly prepared by the Partnership for Public Service, a group seeking to enhance the performance of the federal government, and washingtonpost.com. Visit www.ourpublicservice.org for more about the organization's work.