Salman Rashid, Soliciting Another to Commit a Violent Crime, Florida 2019

MIAMI – In a shocking turn of events, Salman Rashid, a 23-year-old resident of North Miami Beach, Florida, has been arrested and charged with soliciting another person to commit a crime of violence.

According to court documents, the FBI initiated an investigation into Rashid in April 2018 after reviewing his public Facebook posts, which advocated for the violent overthrow of democracy and the establishment of Islamic law.

In May 2019, Rashid allegedly solicited a confidential human source to contact members of ISIS and instruct those ISIS members to conduct a terrorist attack on his behalf. Throughout the summer and fall of 2019, Rashid continued to instruct the confidential source regarding his requested attack, indicating an attack on a religious building or nightclub would be suitable.

Rashid ultimately chose two individuals to target – a dean at Miami-Dade College and a dean at Broward College, two colleges from which Rashid had been suspended or expelled. He asked that explosive devices placed by the confidential human source be as big as possible and provided information about the locations to place the devices and his assessment of security that might be present at the colleges.

Rashid had his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Chris M. McAliley (Case No. 19-mj-3916-Becerra). If convicted, Rashid faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Rashid’s pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, November 27, 2019, at 10 a.m., and his arraignment is scheduled for December 9, 2019.

U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan and Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers commended the investigative efforts of the FBI in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Thakur and Senior Litigation Counsel Randy Hummel of the Southern District of Florida with assistance from Trial Attorney Danielle Rosborough of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

The FBI’s Miami Field Office, led by Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro, worked tirelessly to bring Rashid to justice. The case serves as a reminder of the ongoing threat of terrorism and the importance of vigilance in our communities.

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