Salman Rashid, Soliciting a Violent Crime, Florida 2019

South Florida resident Salman Rashid, 23, of North Miami Beach, Florida, was arrested on November 8-9, 2019 and charged with soliciting another person to commit a crime of violence, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

According to court documents, the FBI initiated an investigation of 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 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 had been suspended or expelled from Miami-Dade College and Broward College, and he asked that the attack be carried out against the deans of these colleges. The FBI introduced an additional confidential human source, who held himself out to be a member of ISIS willing to conduct an attack.

Rashid provided information about the locations to place explosive 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). His pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for November 27, 2019 at 10 a.m. and his arraignment is scheduled for December 9, 2019.

Rashid faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted.

Assistant Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI in this matter.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/south-florida-resident-arrested-soliciting-another-commit-violent-crime-against-college-deans