Abdullah Haji Zada, Terrorism, Oklahoma 2025

OKLAHOMA CITY – In a shocking turn of events, Abdullah Haji Zada, a 19-year-old Afghan national and US lawful permanent resident, has been sentenced to serve the statutory maximum of 180 months in federal prison for knowingly receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive a firearm and ammunition to be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism.

According to court documents, Zada and his co-conspirator, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 28, also a citizen of Afghanistan, received two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition in October 2024, knowing that the firearms and ammunition would be used in connection with a terrorist attack on Election Day in November 2024, on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

“Zada was welcomed into the United States and provided with all the opportunities available to residents of our Nation, yet he chose to embrace terrorism and plot an ISIS-inspired attack on Election Day,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s sentence, and Zada’s eventual removal from the United States, reflect the seriousness of his betrayal and our commitment to using every tool at our disposal to detect and disrupt such plots.”

Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult on April 17, 2025. As part of the plea agreement, Zada stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Zada acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status.

At a sentencing hearing today, US District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Zada to serve 180 months in federal prison. In announcing the sentence, Judge Palk emphasized the seriousness of the offense, the need to provide just punishment, and the need to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct.

Zada’s co-conspirator, Tawhedi, pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025, to two terrorism-related offenses: conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, a designated terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism.

The case highlights the ongoing threat of terrorism in the United States and the importance of vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement agencies to prevent such attacks.

Related Federal Cases