Chicago Man Indicted for Lying to FBI About Terrorism Activity

CHICAGO—A Chicago man was indicted on federal charges for allegedly providing false information about possible terrorism activity to the FBI, causing agents to aggressively investigate the information before determining that it was a hoax. The defendant, Uzair Ali Hashmi, was indicted on three felony counts of making false statements to FBI agents, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northen District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced today.

Hashmi, 20,of the city’s far north side, is scheduled to be arraigned at 10 a.m. on Aug. 19 before Judge Milton Shadur in U.S. District Court. He was charged in an indictment returned Wednesday by a federal grand jury.

“We take very seriously any allegation of terrorism activity and we will aggressively investigate every lead. But, while we want to encourage people to report genuinely suspicious activity, we also will seek to prosecute anyone who deliberately provides false information that diverts agents and resources from other important matters,” Mr. Grant said.

According to the indictment, on July 28, Hashmi first lied to FBI agents when he told them that he had been approached the day before by an individual who asked him whether he carried a firearm and was proficient with firearms; asked him his opinion about “homegrown jihad” in the United States; suggested that he join in “God’s military;” and asked him whether he was familiar with downtown Chicago. Hashmi allegedly knew that the individual had made no such statements.

The next day, on July 29, Hashmi allegedly lied again to agents to when he told them that a second individual had approached him and said that in a few minutes Hashmi would find something near the trash cans in the alley behind his home. Again, Hashmi allegedly knew that this individual had made no such statements. Hashmi allegedly made additional false statements the same day when he provided FBI agents with a fabricated letter, purportedly prepared by another individual and directed to Hashmi, which contained the following statements:

• “[Y]ou are the exact person we have been looking for.”
• “Our job here is to carry out ‘the mission’ of giving the nonbelievers what they deserve.”
• “You seem to have the drive it will take to inflict damage to where it will hurt most. This is your calling to Jihad my brother. You have a key roles in our Operation.”
• “We ... do not have much time till our operation in completed.”
• “We will be in touch with you soon.”

All of the information that Hashmi provided to agents was exhaustively probed by the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, which later determined that it was all a hoax, officials said.

If convicted, each count of making false statements carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Court, however, would determine the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Krickbaum.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.