Afghan man accused of plotting US Election Day assault pleads responsible

An Afghan man in Oklahoma accused of planning an Election Day assault within the U.S. on behalf of the Islamic State group pleaded responsible Friday to terrorism-related prices in federal court docket.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, pleaded responsible to 2 offenses: conspiring and offering assist to the Islamic State group, and trying to obtain firearms to commit a federal crime of terrorism. The Islamic State is designated by the U.S. as a overseas terrorist group.

Tawhedi faces as much as 35 years in jail.

“The defendant admits he deliberate and obtained firearms to hold out a violent terror assault on Election Day in 2024, a plot that was detected and disrupted by the great work of the FBI and our companions,” FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned in a press release.

A cellphone message was left looking for remark from Craig Hoehns, an lawyer for Tawhedi.

Tawhedi was dwelling in Oklahoma Metropolis final yr when he acquired two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition to focus on giant crowds, in keeping with court docket paperwork. Authorities mentioned he had conspired with a number of individuals, together with his brother-in-law, Abdullah Haji Zada, for a number of months to plot out the assault.

Zada, who was 17 on the time, was charged as an grownup and pleaded responsible in April. He faces as much as 15 years in jail.

Tawhedi arrived within the U.S. in September 2021 on a particular immigration visa shortly after the capital metropolis of Afghanistan, Kabul, was captured by the Taliban. On the time of his arrest on Oct. 7, Tawhedi was on parole whereas his immigration standing was pending, in keeping with the Justice Division. His parole standing has since been revoked.

FBI brokers had testified earlier that Tawhedi, who labored as a rideshare driver and at auto retailers, was beneath surveillance for greater than a month earlier than his arrest.