Friend: Bomb suspect sought quick fame

CHICAGO (AP) - A 22-year-old Lebanese immigrant accused of placing a backpack he thought contained a bomb near Chicago's Wrigley Field is no terrorist, just someone seeking quick fortune and fame in America, his attorney and a friend said Wednesday.

But a federal judge denied bail for Sami Samir Hassoun, determining he is dangerous and a flight risk.

"It's hard to imagine a more serious crime ... Although it was thwarted, it had the potential to kill many people," U.S. District Judge Susan Cox said Wednesday at Hassoun's detention hearing.

Prosecutors allege Hassoun took a fake bomb given to him by undercover FBI agents and dropped it Sunday in a trash bin near the historic home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. While harmless, the device appeared ominous - a paint can fitted with blasting caps and a timer.