An Indian national has pleaded guilty to supporting terrorism by providing material for “jihad” against American soldiers and a US Judge, the authorities said.
39-year-old Yahaya Farooq Mohammad allegedly conspired to provide material support to Anwar Al-Awlaki, a key Al Qaeda figure who was later killed in a drone strike in Yamen.
“The defendant conspired to provide and did provide material support to Anwar Al-Awlaki in response to his calls to support violent jihad,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente.
Mohammad also allegedly conspired to target US soldiers serving overseas and a judge in the US.
“This defendant conspired to attack our service members abroad as well as a judge in Toledo,” Acting U.S. Attorney Sierleja said. “He threatened the hallmarks of our democracy. He is a dangerous criminal who deserves a long prison sentence.”
“Conspiring to have a judge killed is not the way to avoid being prosecuted – now Mohammad will be held accountable for additional serious federal charges,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony.
Mohammad was an engineering student at Ohio State University between 2002 and 2004. He married a U.S. citizen in 2008. He and three other defendants – his brother, Ibrahim Mohammad, Asif Ahmed Salim, and Sultan Room Salim – were indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2015.
The case against the remaining three defendants is pending. They have pleaded not guilty.
The US State Department says Mohammad travelled with two associates to Yemen on July 22, 2009 to meet Anwar Al-Awlaki and deliver the $22,000 that they had raised. Although they were unable to meet Awlaki in person, Mohammad and his associates did ensure that Awlaki received the money through a courier.
Al-Awlaki was later designated as a global terrorist in 2010 and identified as a “key leader” of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula, according to court documents.
The State Department says Mohammad, through a family member, also admitted to soliciting an undercover FBI employee posing as a “hitman,” to kidnap and murder U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary who was assigned to hear his terrorism case.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Mohammad is expected to be sentenced to 27 years in federal prison and is to be deported to India upon completion of his sentence.
