OKLAHOMA CITY — An Afghan citizen living in Oklahoma City was indicted Tuesday on charges of conspiring to carry out a terrorist attack on U.S. Election Day on behalf of ISIS, the Department of Justice announced.
The Justice Department said in a statement Tuesday that Nasir Ahmad Tauhedi, 27, conspired to “provide material support to ISIS and conduct violent attacks on U.S. soil in the name of ISIS, including firearms and ammunition.” He announced that he had tried to obtain the If convicted on all charges, Tauhedi faces up to 35 years in prison.
He and his brother-in-law were arrested Monday after purchasing two AK-47 rifles and ammunition from an undercover FBI agent in rural Oklahoma, the FBI reported in a court affidavit. After his arrest, Tauhedi admitted that he and his brother-in-law had bought guns to carry out attacks on Election Day that “targeted large gatherings of people,” according to the affidavit. He said he expected him to die and become a martyr.
On July 25, he used his Google account to access webcams at the White House and the Washington Monument, according to the affidavit.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department had thwarted the plot.
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“We will continue to combat the continuing threat ISIS and its supporters pose to America’s national security, and we will identify, investigate, and prosecute those who seek to instill fear in the American people.” Ta.
FBI Director Christopher Wray also said the plot was uncovered and stopped before anyone was harmed.
“This defendant was motivated by ISIS and allegedly conspired to carry out a violent attack here in our country on Election Day,” Wray said in a statement. “Terrorism remains the FBI’s top priority and we will utilize all resources to protect the American people.”
Taweedi arrived in the United States on September 9, 2021, on a special immigrant visa, according to the affidavit. The timing coincides with thousands of Afghans who fled the country during the Taliban takeover being relocated to cities across the United States.
Approximately 1,000 Afghans were relocated to Oklahoma City.
Sen. James Lankford described him in a news release as an Afghan refugee. According to the FBI, Tawedi lived in the apartment with his wife and 1-year-old child.
His public defender was not available for comment Tuesday night.
The brother-in-law was identified in the affidavit as an Afghan national who lives with his parents in a single-family home in Moore, Oklahoma. His name was not released because the FBI reported him as a juvenile.
The co-conspirator entered the United States on a special immigrant visa on March 27, 2018, according to the affidavit.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)