His bid to become a U. S. citizen has been derailed because federal officials are angry he was acquitted on an explosives charge, an Egyptian national has said.

The St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times has reported that a lawsuit was filed by Youssef Megahed, 24, of Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday seeking to get his application back on track.

It was further reported that the lawsuit names the U. S. attorney general, secretary of homeland security and several federal agencies.

In 2007, shortly before he was arrested with Ahmed Mohammed, a USF student, Megahed, a University of South Florida graduate, had applied for citizenship.

Both were acquitted on explosives charges but Mohammed is serving a 15-year sentence for posting a Web video showing how to convert a remote control for a toy car into a detonator.

Megahed said, "I want to continue living here in this country and being treated as everyone else in this country, as a citizen." (With Inputs from Agencies)