“APNewsBreak: Man to plead guilty in plot to attack military recruiting station in Seattle”
By Associated Press
SEATTLE —
SNIPPET: “Michele Shaw, an attorney for Walli Mujahidh, confirmed to The Associated Press that he will plead guilty to multiple charges in federal court Thursday, after the change-of-plea hearing was posted in the court calendar. She declined to comment further.”
SNIPPET: “Investigators said they learned of the plot when someone that Abdul-Latif recruited to obtain weapons turned to Seattle police and then acted as a paid confidential informant.”
NOTE The following text is a quote:
www.fbi.gov/seattle/press-releases/2011/former-los-angeles-resident-pleads-guilty-in-plot-to-attack-seattle-military-processing-center
Former Los Angeles Resident Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Seattle Military Processing Center
Defendant Agrees to Sentence of 27-32 Years in Prison for Plotting Attack
U.S. Department of Justice
December 08, 2011
Office of Public Affairs
SEATTLE—A former Los Angeles man pleaded guilty today in connection with the June 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle, announced Jenny A. Durkan, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington; Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; and Laura M. Laughlin, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle office.
Walli Mujahidh, aka “Frederick Domingue, Jr.,” 32, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder officers and agents of the United States, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and unlawful possession of a firearm. If the plea agreement is accepted by the court, Mujahidh will be sentenced to between 27 and 32 years in prison under the terms of the agreement. Following the prison term, Mujahidh will be on federal supervised release for the rest of his life. Mujahidh is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James L. Robart on April 16, 2012.
“This defendant tried to carry out a plot to kill American servicemen and women, and other innocent citizens who happened to be at the federal facility on the day of the planned attack,” said U.S. Attorney Durkan. “I applaud the FBI, Seattle Police Department, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their work in disrupting this plot and bringing Walli Mujahidh to justice. I also want to thank the many leaders of the Muslim community who have worked with my office to ensure that acts of a few are not used to condemn the faith of many.”
“Today’s plea underscores the threat posed by homegrown violent extremists and the need for continued vigilance to detect and dismantle their plots. I applaud the many agents, analysts and prosecutors who worked together to thwart this planned attack before anyone was harmed,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.
“The FBI is pleased that Mr. Mujahidh accepted responsibility for his actions, but this case remains a chilling reminder that there is constant work to be done,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Laughlin. “The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force continues to work tirelessly to detect, disrupt and dismantle threats to our community.”
The other defendant in the case, Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif, aka “Joseph Anthony Davis,” 33, of Seattle, remains scheduled for trial in May 2012.
Law enforcement first became aware of the plot when a citizen alerted them that he/she had been approached about participating in the attack and supplying firearms to the conspirators. The person then agreed to work with law enforcement, which began monitoring Abdul-Latif and Mujahidh. Since early June, the conspirators were captured on audio and videotape discussing a violent assault on the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). The MEPS is where each branch of the military screens and processes enlistees. In addition to housing many civilian and military employees, the building houses a federal daycare center.
In his plea agreement, Mujahidh admits that he became aware of the planned attack in May 2011, and in early June was making plans to travel to Seattle from Los Angeles to participate in the attack. Mujahidh arrived in Seattle on June 21, 2011, and in a meeting with a person who was working with law enforcement, Mujahidh suggested going into the MEPS with machine guns and grenades and killing everyone there.
The next day, the person working with police brought some firearms, which had been rendered inoperable by law enforcement, to a meeting with Mujahidh and Abdul-Latif. The men were arrested after they took possession of the weapons. Mujahidh is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a felony conviction in California for theft.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which has investigators from federal, state and local law enforcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) contributed significant expertise to this investigation.
NOTE The following text (minus press contact info) is a quote:
www.fbi.gov/seattle/press-releases/2013/former-los-angeles-man-sentenced-to-17-years-in-prison-for-role-in-plot-to-attack-seattle-military-processing-center
Former Los Angeles Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Role in Plot to Attack Seattle Military Processing Center
Traveled from Los Angeles to Seattle to Take Part in Attack
U.S. Attorney’s Office
April 08, 2013
Western District of Washington
SEATTLE—A former Los Angeles resident was sentenced today to 17 years in prison in connection with the June 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle, U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan announced. Walli Mujahidh, 34, pleaded guilty in December 2011 to conspiracy to murder officers and agents of the United States and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Mujahidh plotted with lead defendant Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif of Seattle in a plan to use grenades and machine guns to attack recruits at the Military Entrance Processing Center in a federal office complex in south Seattle. U.S. District Judge James L. Robart imposed 10 years of supervised release following the prison term.
“This defendant was a cold-hearted, enthusiastic partner in this murderous scheme. He talked at length in recorded conversations about the innocent people he planned to gun down,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “Even after his arrest, he boldly tried to justify his plot. I am thankful this plot was disrupted and again thank the FBI and Seattle Police Department.”
The other defendant in the case, Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif, of Seattle, was sentenced to 18 years in prison last month.
Law enforcement first became aware of the plot when a citizen alerted them that he/she had been approached by Abdul-Latif about participating in the attack and supplying firearms to the conspirators. The person then agreed to work with law enforcement, which began monitoring Abdul-Latif and Mujahidh. Beginning in early June 2011, the conspirators were captured on audio and videotape discussing a violent assault on the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). The MEPS is where each branch of the military screens and processes enlistees. In addition to housing many civilian and military employees, the building houses a federal daycare center.
In his plea agreement, Mujahidh admitted that he agreed to carry out the planned attack and that he traveled to Seattle from Los Angeles to participate in the attack. Mujahidh arrived in Seattle on June 21, 2011. On that same day, during a meeting between Abdul-Latif, Mujahidh and a person who was working with law enforcement, Abdul-Latif outlined the plan of attacking the MEPS with machine guns and grenades and took steps to purchase weapons and further the plot. In accordance with the defendants’ plan, the next day the person working with police brought three machine guns to a meeting with Abdul-Latif and Mujahidh. The men were arrested after they took possession of the weapons, which had been rendered inoperable by law enforcement.
In their sentencing memo, prosecutors describe multiple times where Mujahidh described his enthusiasm for the attack and his terrorist motivations. “During the planning sessions for the attack, Mujahidh made clear that he was eager to kill his intended victims, and as many as possible. He made numerous statements along these lines while he and Abdul-Latif planned out the play-by-play movements of the attackers using the map of the Federal Center South building,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which has investigators from federal, state, and local law enforcement and the Seattle Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) contributed significant expertise to this investigation.