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Press Release

Round Rock Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to Terrorists

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas

In Austin this afternoon, 24-year-old self-proclaimed “jihadi” Rahatul Ashikim Khan (a.k.a. “Rahat Khan,” “Authentic Tauheed 19,” and “AT19”) was sentenced to ten years in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support and resources to terrorists, announced John Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Richard L. Durbin, Jr., United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas, and Christopher Combs, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio Division.

On July 2, 2014, Khan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.  The conspiracy occurred between March 2011 and January 2012.  During this time frame, Khan identified an individual in an Internet chatroom and began assessing that individual for overseas violent jihadist travel.  That individual was actually an FBI confidential source.  After Khan screened the confidential source, he made arrangements to insert him into an al-Shabaab pipeline controlled by Gufran Ahmed Kauser Mohammed and Mohamed Hussen Said.  Mohammed and Said both pleaded guilty to material support offenses in the Southern District of Florida and have been sentenced to terms of 180 months’ imprisonment respectively.

According to court records, Khan also led a group of individuals in the Austin area who pledged loyalty to the now-deceased Taliban and terrorist leader, Mullah Omar.  Michael Todd Wolfe, 24, was a part of Khan’s group.  Wolfe was arrested by FBI agents on June 17, 2014, in Houston, as he was about to board a plane as a first step towards his goal of joining and fighting with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  Wolfe was sentenced to 82 months in prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIL.

“Rahatul Khan conspired to provide material support to terrorists by screening and recruiting potential foreign fighters located in the United States to wage violent jihad in various locations overseas, including Somalia,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “The National Security Division’s highest priority is counterterrorism and we will continue to pursue justice against those who seek to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.”

This case resulted from a Central Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, United States Army Intelligence, Austin Police Department, Round Rock Police Department, Killeen Police Department, University of Texas Police Department, Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Office of the Texas Attorney General and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

“I would like to thank the men and women serving on the Central Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, who conducted an exceptional investigation in this case, and continue to work tirelessly, 365 days a year, to keep our community safe,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs.

Assistant United States Attorneys Gregg N. Sofer and Michael Galdo, together with Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section trial attorneys Josh Parecki and Michael Dittoe, prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Updated September 25, 2015

Topic
Counterterrorism