Hamza Naj Ahmed, Conspiracy to Provide Material Support, Minnesota 2015

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Grimy Times) – In a shocking turn of events, 19-year-old Hamza Naj Ahmed of Minneapolis, Minn. has been indicted for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The charges, announced by United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, also include attempting to provide material support to ISIL, and making a false statement in a terrorism investigation. Ahmed was previously charged by criminal complaint for lying to FBI agents.

According to the indictment and documents filed in court, Ahmed and three companions, M.F., H.M.M., and Z.A., travelled by bus from Minneapolis, Minn., to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on November 8, 2014. Ahmed successfully boarded a flight from JFK to Istanbul, Turkey, but was escorted from the aircraft by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents before it left the boarding gate.

During an interview with FBI agents, Ahmed made multiple false statements, including telling agents that he was traveling alone, and that he did not know M.F. or H.M.M. When Ahmed arrived back in Minnesota on November 9, 2014, FBI agents conducted a second voluntary interview, during which Ahmed again lied to agents.

Hamza Naj Ahmed, 19, Minneapolis, Minn., is charged with:
– Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, 1 count
– Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, 1 count
– Making a False Statement in a Terrorism Investigation, 1 count

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Ahmed was detained on February 5, 2015, after making an initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Steven Rau in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Winter and John Docherty, and Attorney Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division.

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