Federal Judge Delays Gun-Shipping Case

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered a delay in the pretrial proceedings and trial of a Broussard man accused of illegally shipping weapons to his native Lebanon.

The Advertiser reports (http://bit.ly/1palu6N ) the pretrial hearing for Joseph Ali Youssef, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Beirut, was scheduled for July 28. The trial was set for Aug. 4. But U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik granted a defense motion to delay those proceedings. Haik said Youssef's defense has exercised due diligence but lacked "adequate time to prepare" for those court dates.

Charged with smuggling goods from the United States and with foreign shipment of firearms without proper documentation, Youssef is accused of attempting to ship legally purchased guns, armor and ammunition hidden in secret compartments inside household furniture to Beirut on April 17.

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