October 21, 2015

Grand Jury Votes Second Superseding Indictment Charging Five with Conspiracy to Murder Overseas

United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota Andrew M. Luger and FBI Special Agent in Charge for the Minneapolis Division Richard T. Thornton today announced a second superseding indictment charging five Minnesotans with conspiracy to murder overseas, perjury and other charges. The indictment, which was originally filed on February 19, 2015, and superseded on May 18, 2015, is the result of a long-term investigation led by the Minneapolis Division of the FBI into a group of individuals who have tried to join—and in some cases succeeded in joining—the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

At least nine Minnesotans have now been charged as part of this conspiracy. Three of the men charged have pleaded guilty, including ABDULLAHI YUSUF (February 16, 2015), HANAD MUSSE (September 9, 2015), and ZACHARIA ABDURAHMAN (September 17, 2015). The remaining defendants, HAMZA AHMED, ADNAN FARAH, GULED OMAR, ABDURAHMAN DAUD and MOHAMED FARAH, are scheduled to go to trial on February 16, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Davis.

This second superseding indictment charges OMAR, AHMED, DAUD, A. FARAH, and M. FARAH with conspiracy to murder overseas. A. FARAH is additionally charged with two counts of perjury for false testimony provided to the grand jury. M. FARAH and DAUD are each charged with one count of perjury for false testimony given before the grand jury. OMAR is charged with attempted financial aid fraud for trying to use $5,000 of financial aid to fund his travel to Turkey.

Beyond these additional charges, the charges in the original indictment and the first superseding indictment are re-alleged. The new counts against the defendants are listed below.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Defendant Information:

HAMZA AHMED, 20 Savage, Minn.

Charges:

  • Conspiracy to Murder Outside the United States, 1 count
  • Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), 1 count
  • Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, 1 count
  • False statement, 1 count
  • Financial aid fraud, 1 count

MOHAMED FARAH, 21 Minneapolis, Minn.

Charges:

  • Conspiracy to Murder Outside the United States, 1 count
  • Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), 1 count
  • Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, 2 counts
  • Perjury, 1 count
  • False statement, 1 count

GULED OMAR, 21 Minneapolis, Minn.

Charges:

  • Conspiracy to Murder Outside the United States, 1 count
  • Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), 1 count
  • Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, 2 counts
  • Attempted financial aid fraud, 1 count

ABDIRAHMAN DAUD, 21 Minneapolis, Minn.

Charges:

  • Conspiracy to Murder Outside the United States, 1 count
  • Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), 1 count
  • Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, 1 count
  • Perjury, 1 count

ADNAN FARAH, 19 Minneapolis, Minn.

Charges:

  • Conspiracy to Murder Outside the United States, 1 count
  • Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), 1 count
  • Perjury, 2 counts