Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab, Terrorist Support, Ohio 2023
Local Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Supporting Terrorist Plot
COLUMBUS, Ohio - In a shocking turn of events, Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab, a 53-year-old Iraqi citizen living in Columbus, was sentenced to 178 months in prison for attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization as part of a plot to murder former United States President George W. Bush.
According to court documents, Shihab believed the former President was responsible for killing many Iraqis and breaking apart the entire country of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The defendant's own life changed during and after the war, and he proudly assisted in this plot.
Shihab originally entered the United States in September 2020 and primarily resided in Columbus from December 2020 until his arrest in May 2022. Throughout much of that time, Shihab attempted to provide material support to terrorists in furtherance of a plot to assassinate former President George W. Bush.
Shihab hoped to smuggle at least four Iraqis associated with ISIS into the United States with the goal of completing the assassination. In fact, in the fall of 2021, Shihab believed he successfully smuggled an ISIS member into the United States for a fee of $40,000. Shihab accepted tens of thousands of dollars for the purported smuggling.
In furtherance of the assassination plot, Shihab traveled to Dallas in February 2022 to conduct surveillance of locations associated with the former President. For example, he recorded videos of the front access gate and surrounding area leading into the neighborhood of the former President's home.
Shihab was arrested by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agents in May 2022. He pleaded guilty in March 2023 to attempting to provide material support to terrorists. Shihab was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Defendant: Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab
Criminal Charges: Attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization
City and State: Columbus, Ohio
Date: May 2022 (arrest), March 2023 (guilty plea)
Sentence: 178 months (14.83 years) in prison and a lifetime of supervised release
Fine: None mentioned
Dollar Amounts: $40,000
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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