Friday June 30, 2017
A Columbus man will be sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to three charges, including one county of attempting to provide and providing material support to terrorists.
Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud, 24, was arrested in 2014 after a trip to Syria. Mohamud was charged by a federal grand jury in April 2015 with one count of attempting to provide and providing material support to terrorists, one count of attempting to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization – namely, al-Nusrah Front – and one count of making false statements to the FBI involving international terrorism in an indictment returned in Columbus, Ohio.
The US Attorney's office says shortly after the Somalia-born Mohamud became a US citizen in February, 2014 he traveled from Columbus to Syria and trained with the al-Nusrah Front.
They say he tried to disguise the trip by buying a plane ticket to Greece, then used a layover in Turkey to travel to Syria instead.
Authorities say Mohamud admitted to getting training from terrorists during a trip overseas and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Mohamud actually plead guilty on August 14, 2015, but the plea was sealed because of an ongoing investigation.
Authorities say after Mohamud's brother was killed while fighting for al-Nusrah front, Mohamud returned to the US and planned to get weapons in order to kill members of the military or government employees.
"He also admitted to returning to the United States and planning to conduct an attack on American soil. He will now be held accountable for his crimes," Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente said in a statement.
Providing material support to terrorists and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization are each crimes punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Making false statements involving international terrorism carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison.