FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   USA
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1995                                   (612) 348-1500
                                                                           

     MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota -- The U.S. Attorney for the District
of Minnesota, David L. Lillehaug, announced today that a federal
grand jury has indicted Qubilah Shabazz, the daughter of the late
Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz).  She was charged with using
the telephone and traveling interstate in the course of hiring
another person to murder Minister Louis Farrakhan, leader of the
Nation of Islam.
     Shabazz, age 34, formerly resided in New York City and has
lived in Minneapolis since September 1994.  She voluntarily
surrendered to authorities at 9:00 a.m. CST.  She makes her
initial court appearance at 2:"45 p.m. CST today in the U.S.
Courthouse in Minneapolis before Magistrate Judge Jonathan G.
Lebedoff.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court
Judge James M. Rosenbaum in Minneapolis.
     The indictment charges eight counts of use of an interstate
commerce facility -- in this case, the telephone -- in the course
of a murder for hire scheme.  The eight conversations referenced
were in July and August of 1994.
     Shabazz is also charged in the indictment with one count of
interstate travel in connection with the murder for hire plot. 
The grand jury charges that Shabazz traveled from New York to
Minnesota and that, after arriving in Minnesota, she made a
partial payment to the person she hired to kill Farrakhan.
     The identity of the person with whom Shabazz allegedly
contracted is not disclosed in the indictment.  The U.S. Attorney
said only that he expects that person to be a witness at trial.
     At all times mentioned in the indictment to the present, no
physical attempt on Louis Farrakhan's life was made, nor was he
in immediate danger.  Farrakhan, who resides in Chicago, was
notified about the investigation by the FBI, which was monitoring the alleged scheme by
audiotape, videotape, surveillance, and other investigative
methods.  Today Farrakhan was informed by the FBI about the
indictment as it was being returned by the federal grand jury.
     U.S. Attorney Lillehaug commented, "This is an extraordinary
case, by virtue of its historical context and the identities of
the defendant and alleged target.  However, as we are intent that
this case be tried fairly by twelve Minnesota jurors, we'll wait
until trial to disclose the details of the alleged scheme,
including the defendant's motive."
     If convicted, the defendant faces maximum sentence on each
count of ten years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.  Any
sentence would be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge based
on the federal sentencing guidelines.
     The indictment is the result of seven-month investigation by
the Minneapolis office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanne Graham, Chief of the Office's
Violent and General Crimes Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney
Andrew Dunne are prosecuting the case.
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