Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Al-Qaeda

Mohammed Abdullah Warsame, a 35-year-old resident of Minneapolis, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to al-Qaeda

Warsame, a naturalized Canadian citizen of Somali descent, entered his plea of guilty this afternoon before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim in federal court in Minneapolis. At sentencing, which was set for 1:30 pm on July 9, 2009, Warsame faces a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He has agreed to be removed to Canada upon completion of his criminal sentence.

Warsame was charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaeda in a Jan. 20, 2004, indictment returned in the District of Minnesota. A June 21, 2005, superseding indictment charged Warsame with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaeda, one count of providing material support to al-Qaeda, and three counts of making false statements to the FBI. Warsame today pleaded guilty to count one of the superseding indictment. The government has agreed to dismiss the remaining charges.

According to the plea agreement, from about March 2000 through at least December 2003, Warsame conspired with others to provide material support to al-Qaeda in the form of personnel, training and currency.

Specifically, in March of 2000, Warsame traveled to Afghanistan where he attended an al-Qaeda training camp outside Kabul. In the summer of 2000, he then traveled to the al Faruq training camp, where he received further training and met Osama Bin Laden. Warsame subsequently worked at an al-Qaeda guesthouse and clinic.

According to the plea agreement, in late March 2001, Warsame traveled from Pakistan via London to Canada. After leaving Pakistan, Warsame established email contacts with several al-Qaeda associates that he had met in Afghanistan. In addition, he sent money to one of his former training camp commanders.

Warsame then relocated to Minneapolis. Throughout 2002 and 2003, he continued to exchange email messages with, and provide information to, several individuals associated with al-Qaeda, according to the plea agreement.

"The many agents, analysts and prosecutors who helped bring about today’s guilty plea -- after years of investigation and extensive pre-trial litigation -- deserve special thanks for their efforts," said Assistant Attorney General Kris. "This case serves as a reminder of the continuing threats we face as a nation and our resolve to meet those threats."

The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force. The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) is a multi agency effort combining the resources of federal, state and local law enforcement. In addition to the FBI, the investigation was conducted with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Marshals Service, the Minneapolis Police Department, the St. Paul Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. In addition to those agencies, the JTTF in Minneapolis includes representatives of the Minnesota Department of Homeland Security, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Police, the Transportation Safety Administration, the Federal Air Marshals, the Bloomington Police Department, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, and Trial Attorney Joseph N. Kaster from the Counterrrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

July 9, 2009

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://minneapolis.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/mp070909.htm

Minneapolis Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to al Qaeda

WASHINGTON—A 35-year-old Minneapolis man was sentenced today in federal court on one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda.

David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Frank J. Magill, U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota announced that on July 9 in Minneapolis, U.S. District Court Judge John Tunheim sentenced Mohammed Abdullah Warsame to 92 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

Warsame, a naturalized Canadian citizen of Somali descent, was charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization—al Qaeda—in a Jan. 20, 2004, indictment returned in the District of Minnesota. A June 21, 2005, superseding indictment also charged Warsame with one count of providing material support to al Qaeda and three counts of making false statements to the FBI. Warsame pleaded guilty to the material support count of the superseding indictment on May 5, 2009. The government has agreed as part of a plea agreement to dismiss the remaining charges.

“I applaud the many agents, analysts and prosecutors whose tireless efforts led to this sentence. This case serves as a reminder of the continuing threats we face as a nation and our resolve to meet those threats,” said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

“Today’s sentence marks the culmination of many years of painstaking investigative and prosecutorial work, and all those involved in this case, particularly the Joint Terrorism Task Force, deserve our thanks,” said U.S. Attorney Magill. “Mr. Warsame has admitted to providing material support to the al Qaeda terrorist organization. Mr. Warsame’s actions demonstrate that he was a member of the organization, that he believed in its cause, and that he was willing to violate United States law in support of al Qaeda. The sentence imposed today shows that our battle against terrorism continues, including right here in Minnesota, and that those who knowingly provide support to terrorists will be held accountable for their actions.”

According to the plea agreement, Warsame admitted that from about March 2000 through at least December 2003, he conspired with others to provide material support to al Qaeda in the form of personnel, training, and currency.

According to court documents, in March 2000, Warsame traveled through the mountains from Pakistan to Afghanistan, where he attended an al Qaeda training camp outside Kabul. For the next three to five months, Warsame received training in physical fitness, the use of weapons, and martial arts. Warsame also traveled to the front lines with the Taliban and observed combat between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance.

Warsame returned to Pakistan, and while there, he was in contact via e-mail with al Qaeda associates he had met in Afghanistan. In one of those e-mails, Warsame described his time spent at the camps as “one of the greatest experiences of my life. I will be going back there very soon.”

In another e-mail dated Dec. 6, 2000, Warsame wrote, “If you have any news or important information please let me know, because I don’t want to be late for the action, you know what I mean. We hear there might be an attack soon.”

After a few months in Pakistan, Warsame returned to Afghanistan and to an al Qaeda guesthouse. The guesthouse was used as a place of rest for people attending Bin Laden’s camp. Warsame was assigned to guard the guesthouse and later met a variety of individuals who have been indicted and convicted of terrorism-related offenses in the United States, including Zacarias Moussaoui and Richard Reid.

Warsame attended an Islamic institute near the guesthouse that taught radical Islam and preached jihad to students and said, according to court documents, the institute’s leader was a high-ranking al Qaeda member. Warsame admitted that he approached this individual for money in order to bring his family from Canada to Afghanistan.

Warsame admitted that in March 2001, he traveled from Pakistan via London to Canada and continued his e-mail contacts with the al Qaeda associates he had met in Afghanistan. In addition, he sent approximately $2,000 (Canadian) to one of his former training camp commanders. Warsame also provided information to an individual he met in Afghanistan about the process for entering Canada.

Warsame then relocated to Minneapolis. Throughout 2002 and 2003, he continued to exchange e-mail messages with and provide information to several individuals associated with al Qaeda.

This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF is a multi-agency effort combining the resources of federal, state, and local law enforcement. In addition to the FBI, the investigation was conducted with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Minneapolis Police Department, the St. Paul Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys W. Anders Folk, Tom M. Hollenhorst and Michael Ward, of the District of Minnesota, and Trial Attorney Joseph N. Kaster from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

NOTE The following text is a quote:

www.ice.gov/pi/nr/1010/101008detroit.htm

October 8, 2010

ICE deports Somali-born Canadian national with close ties to al-Qaeda

DETROIT - A Somali-born Canadian national - who received military training at an al-Qaeda terrorist camp, met with and attended lectures by Osama bin Laden, and provided security guard services and money to al-Qaeda - was deported to Canada on Friday by agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Mohammed Warsame, 37, was indicted in January 2004 in the District of Minnesota for conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaeda, a designated terrorist organization, following an investigation by the Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force, which included agents from the ICE Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Warsame attended the Minneapolis Community and Technical College prior to his arrest in December 2003.

Warsame was charged with providing material support and resources to al-Qaeda, specifically that he traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan between 2000 and 2001to attend al-Qaeda training camps. Court documents showed that al-Qaeda paid Warsame’s travel expenses to return to Canada, that Warsame sent money back to an al-Qaeda associate as repayment, and that Warsame maintained contact with al-Qaeda after returning to Canada.

Warsame pleaded guilty on May 20, 2009 in the District of Minnesota to providing material support to al-Qaeda, and was sentenced to 92 months federal prison with credit for time served. On July 9, 2009, the District of Minnesota issued Warsame a judicial order of removal to Canada.

“There is no place in this country for anyone who advocates violence by associating, supporting or conspiring with terrorists,” said ICE Director John Morton. “ICE will use every tool at our disposal to protect the American people and remove those who pose a threat to our national security.”

According to court documents, in March 2000, Warsame traveled through the mountains from Pakistan to Afghanistan, where he attended an al-Qaeda training camp outside Kabul. For the next three to five months, Warsame received training in physical fitness, the use of weapons and martial arts. Warsame also traveled to the front lines with the Taliban and observed combat between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance.

In the summer of 2000, he then traveled to the al Faruq training camp, where he received further military training and met Osama Bin Laden. Warsame described Bin Laden as “very inspirational.” At this camp, Warsame was trained to use AK-47 rifles, Uzis and other weapons; he also received training in tactics and navigation. During this time, Warsame again fought for the Taliban and said he was exposed to heavy fighting.
Warsame returned to Pakistan, and while there, he was in contact via email with al-Qaeda associates he had met in Afghanistan. In one of those e-mails, Warsame described his time spent at the camps as “one of the greatest experiences of my life. I will be going back there very soon.”

In another email dated Dec. 6, 2000, Warsame wrote, “If you have any news or important information please let me know, because I don’t want to be late for the action, you know what I mean. We hear there might be an attack soon.”

After a few months in Pakistan, Warsame returned to Afghanistan and to an al-Qaeda guesthouse. The guesthouse was used as a place of rest for people attending Bin Laden’s camp. Warsame was assigned to guard the guesthouse and later met a variety of individuals who have been indicted and convicted of terrorism-related offenses in the United States, including Zacarias Moussaoui and Richard Reid.

Warsame attended an Islamic institute near the guesthouse that taught radical Islam and preached jihad to students and said, according to court documents, the institute’s leader was a high-ranking al-Qaeda member. Warsame admitted that he approached this individual for money in order to bring his family from Canada to Afghanistan.

Warsame admitted that in March 2001, he traveled from Pakistan via London to Canada and continued his email contacts with the al-Qaeda associates he had met in Afghanistan. In addition, he sent about $2,000 (Canadian) to one of his former training camp commanders. Warsame also provided information to an individual he met in Afghanistan about the process for entering Canada.

Warsame then relocated to Minneapolis. Throughout 2002 and 2003, he continued to exchange email messages with and provide information to several individuals associated with al-Qaeda.

Warsame was released about 6 a.m. on Oct. 8 from the Bureau of Prison’s facility at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Ind. He was immediately turned over to ICE. He was transported under ICE escort to Canada and was turned over to officials from the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) at about 12:30 p.m. (EDT).

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