Terrorism suspect pleaded guilty in 2015, unsealed document shows
Federal prosecutors continued to post procedural hearings, such as telephone conferences and a trial date of July 10, for Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud, almost two years after the central Ohio homegrown terrorist had pleaded guilty to the crimes.
Mohamud, 25, pleaded guilty on Aug. 14, 2015, before U.S. District Court Chief Magistrate Elizabeth A. Preston Deavers in Columbus. On Thursday, minutes from that hearing were unsealed. Mohamud pleaded guilty to all three charges in his indictment: providing material support to terrorists; providing support to a designated terrorist organization; and lying about his involvement in international terrorism, according to his attorney, Sam Shamansky. Mohamud faces a maximum of 38 years in prison, he said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Squires declined to comment on the plea hearing, including whether Mohamud was cooperating with authorities investigating other terrorism cases.
Federal prosecutors at times do not reveal a defendant has secretly pleaded guilty, or even been sentenced, because of an ongoing investigation. The hearings posted occur but no one reveals the defendant has pleaded.
Asked whether his client is hoping for consideration at sentencing for admitting his guilt, Shamansky replied, “That would be a correct statement.” He declined to comment on whether Mohamud received any promises from prosecutors in exchange for pleading guilty.
A sentencing date before U.S. District Judge James L. Graham will be set later, Shamansky said.
Mohamud was born in Somalia and has lived in the Columbus area since he was 2 years old. He attended Whitehall-Yearling High School and lived with his mother, sister and two brothers on the West Side.
A statement of facts released on Thursday details his slide into terrorism:
In September 2013, he sent a private message praising his brother, Abdifatah Aden, who was fighting in Syria with the al-Qaidalinked al-Nusra Front. In that message, Mohamud committed to joining the fight.
The following February, Mohamud became a naturalized U.S. citizen and obtained a U.S. passport. In April 2014, he flew to Turkey on a flight scheduled to continue on to Athens, Greece. Instead, during a layover in Istanbul, he obtained help from “facilitators” to enter Syria. He brought with him $1,000 and an iPad to give to Aden.
Before leaving for Syria, he had posted several messages to Facebook, including praise for the insurgency and saying, “We will never lose to these pagen (sic) alawyit,” an apparent reference to the Alawite sect of Islam to which Syrian President Bashar Assad belongs.
In Syria, he trained on fitness, weapons and tactics, including “how to enter a structure and kill persons inside,” the statement of facts says. He sent a video to someone in the United States describing the training.
He participated in a firefight and “expressed his desire to die while fighting in Syria.” Instead, al-Nusra sent him to the United States to commit an act of terrorism here.
Aden was killed fighting in Syria on or near June 3, 2014.
Returning to the United States, Mohamud continued to exchange messages with al-Nusra-linked individuals and to plan attacks.
He conducted a “fort worth texas prison inmate search” on the Internet.
“This guy was planning to travel to Texas to kill three or four soldiers, executionstyle,” said Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, who obtained a state grand jury indictment against Mohamud for supporting terrorism. “He was conspiring to be involved with other people here to attack a military facility, to kill military personnel around Columbus.” The case was later transferred to federal court.
Mohamud booked a flight to the Dallas/Fort Worth area for Nov. 28, 2014, but the flight was changed. The statement of facts doesn’t say how or why it was changed.
All the while, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Columbus was monitoring Mohamud’s communications. Agents interviewed him in February 2015. He lied, telling them he stayed in Turkey and didn’t see Aden, and that he didn’t provide any money or support to terrorists.
Columbus police arrested Mohamud at his Dunlane Court home.
Shamansky said Mohamud is “contrite, introspective and understands the gravity of these crimes.”
“These are terribly complicated cases with otherwise well-meaning and law-abiding individuals who otherwise get derailed,” Shamansky said.