Massachusetts man a witness in Times Square bomb probe

A Massachusetts man appears to have become the latest witness in the Times Square bombing investigation.

Aftab Ali Khan, of Watertown, Mass., made a brief appearance Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan so that he could be assigned a lawyer because of his status as a witness.

Khan told U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Gorenstein that he wasn't employed and had filled out a financial disclosure affidavit truthfully. The document is used to verify that a witness or defendant can't afford to pay for legal counsel and needs a lawyer to be appointed by the court.

Khan was taken into custody last month in the wake of widening investigation of the Times Square bombing attempt on May 1. Khan was not charged with a crime but was held on an immigration charge.

Khan and two other men were reportedly detained as investigators followed the money trail involving bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad, who was arrested May 3. Shahzad has been providing the FBI and NYPD joint terrorism task force with information since he was taken into custody.

Khan, who reportedly worked at a gas station in Brookline, Mass., has denied knowing Shahzad. FBI agents reportedly found an empty envelope with the notation "Faisal" in Khan's apartment.

An immigration judge in Boston ruled on May 27 that Khan was to be deported back to his native Pakistan. However, he recently was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshal's Service, federal officials said.

Gorenstein mentioned in court that Khan is a "witness" who is being appointed a lawyer. He did not elaborate. Law enforcement officials said Khan's status as a witness would not preclude the government from filing criminal charges against him at a later date.