William Chrisman had three wives and nine children to support and struggled with panic attacks

William Chrisman had three wives and nine children to support and struggled with panic attacks, but the Muslim convert was determined to help the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

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He became an informant for the FBI and ended up in contact with two other Muslim converts suspected of supporting terrorism.

His work helped authorities charge both men. Derrick Shareef, 23, pleaded guilty to plotting to set off grenades in an Illinois shopping mall. Hassan Abu-Jihaad, a former Navy sailor, has pleaded not guilty to charges he gave terrorists secret information about the location of Navy ships and ways to attack them.

Chrisman's role was revealed during a two-day hearing this past week to determine what evidence can be admitted when Abu-Jihaad's trial begins in February.

Chrisman, 34, was a gang member from Camden, N.J., who sold crack cocaine and landed in prison for attempted armed robbery and possession of a stolen car. He left gang life more than a decade ago and converted to Islam while in prison.

Chrisman, now a sheep farmer in Illinois, says he had wanted to join the military since the first Persian Gulf War, but his criminal record prevented him from serving. After 9-11, he walked into an FBI office and offered his services, and he has since helped out on several cases.

Chrisman says in the fall of 2006 authorities asked him to contact Shareef, who was working at a video store in the Chicago area.

Shareef had nowhere to live and accepted an offer to move in with Chrisman the same day they met. Chrisman says the arrangement was not so unusual, since Muslims are supposed to offer shelter for three days.

"It was a burden on my wives," Chrisman said in court, referring to his arrangement that's not recognized by law. "Some of his behaviors were not good around my children."

Shareef discussed violent jihad, or holy war, and mentioned Abu-Jihaad, describing him as a father figure whom he met in 2003 at a mosque in Phoenix and lived with for about seven months in 2003 and 2004, Chrisman said.

Abu-Jihaad had been under federal investigation since 2004.

Chrisman, who secretly tape recorded his conversations, says Shareef told him Abu-Jihaad had passed along information about Navy ships.

"He told me that Abu-Jihaad was on the ships in the Middle East and that he passed along information to a Web site," said Chrisman testified.

Abu-Jihaad denies that.

Chrisman also said Shareef told him that he and Abu-Jihaad had discussed a plot to attack a military base in San Diego or a recruiting station in Phoenix. Shareef said Abu-Jihaad even dispatched him to scope out the recruiting station.

Abu-Jihaad, who was never charged with that alleged plot, taught Shareef about Islam and what he called defensive jihad, which meant they could attack military bases if American Muslims were attacked or rounded up, FBI agent David Dillon testified.

Prosecutors said Abu-Jihaad made coded reference to Osama bin Laden in recorded phone calls.

Abu-Jihaad repeatedly warned Shareef to be discreet, talking in code about "cold meals" and "fresh meals" that authorities said were references to outdated and viable plots. He referred to Osama bin Laden as "under the black leaves," logistical support as "L" and "7" for an upper level of paradise for those who die on the battlefield, prosecutors say.

Lawyers for Abu-Jihaad have argued that the calls and other evidence, such as e-mail searches, should be thrown out because of a judge's ruling in another case in September that struck down portions of the USA Patriot Act.

Shareef was arrested in December 2006 when, authorities said, he tried to buy hand grenades and a gun from an undercover agent working with Chrisman.

Chrisman said he called Abu-Jihaad to tell him Shareef was arrested.