Red House, Virginia, Muslims of America members are preparing a court fight for one of their own, Jalaluddin Abdullah Connor, 19; Lynchburg Police Department said Conner had packets of crack cocaine and a gun on him last Dec. 30.

A Lynchburg grand jury on June 2 indicted Connor for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of a firearm with illegal drugs.

Last week Lynchburg Circuit Court Clerk’s office confirmed a jury trial is set for the case, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., July 15.

In a lower court hearing last month, Officer B. T. Clark said he received a call on six suspicious men outside in the rain at Millwoods Apartments, Lynchburg, at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 30, 2007.

As he neared, a man Clark said was a lookout signaled – and the men quickly scattered. “I began to chase on foot…At this time I began to perceive criminal activity had taken place,” he said.

“Mr. Connor made straight for the breezeway, I jumped the fence and fell into the breezeway area,” he added, but it was another officer who grabbed Connor.

“I found a plastic baggie with four plastic bag corners containing crack cocaine in Connor’s right, front jacket pocket.”

Officers also found a handgun on Connor.

All the others from the group got away. Officers transported Connor to department headquarters, advised of his rights. “I asked him why he ran,” Clark said.

“He said, ‘Because of what you found on me’…he said he had the firearm on him for his protection,” Clark added.

Clark said Connor denied having any knowledge of the baggie corners of crack cocaine; he said he had borrowed the coat from a friend who he refused to identify.

“I asked where the friend was, and he said from ‘back in Red House,’” Clark said.

Police logged in evidence baggie-corner portions of off-white rock-like substance that forensic scientists certified as containing crack cocaine, plus photos of Connor’s handgun and DVD recordings of Connor’s interview statements.

Connor motioned for a new defense attorney, B. Leigh Drewry, who Muslims of America members said should offer an aggressive defense in the case.

Court documents indicated their strong objections to Conner’s first defense attorney, William F. Quillian, III’s, as soft on organizing a plea deal.

Quillian requested withdrawal on the question of legal strategy. “Apparently [they] felt the advice being given…was not in the defendant’s best interest,” Quillian said.

Muslims of America members also had Connor moved from a bordering residence at their compound to 2940 Rolling Hills Road, Pamplin, to “reside with Fareed and Inez Blow,” nearby, court records said.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jeff Bennett dropped a misdemeanor charge of altering the serial number of a firearm charged in the original warrants against Connor.