Atlanta Defendant Found Guilty of Supporting Terrorists

A federal jury has found Ehsanul Islam Sadequee, 23, of Roswell, Ga., guilty on all four counts of an indictment charging him with supporting terrorists and a foreign terrorist organization, after a trial that lasted seven days. The jury deliberated for approximately five hours before reaching the guilty verdicts. U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey, Jr. presided over the trial.

David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, said, “This investigation and the two resulting trials of Mr. Sadequee and Mr. Ahmed underscore the importance of international and domestic cooperation in combating terrorism. The agents, analysts and prosecutors involved in these cases and in related investigations around the world deserve a special thanks for their efforts.”

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia David E. Nahmias said, “With this guilty verdict, a long and successful international counter-terrorism investigation comes to a close. Defendants in the United States, the United Kingdom, Bosnia, and elsewhere - all of whom conspired together to provide material support to violent jihad - are now safely behind bars. For that, we can be thankful. This case remains, however, a sobering reminder that terrorism and its supporters are not confined to distant battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan. As recent events further demonstrate, there are still some American citizens willing to take up arms against the United States, our people, our allies, and our interests. In the face of this clear threat, federal law enforcement must and will remain vigilant, seeking to disrupt future terrorist networks before a timer is ticking or a trigger is pulled. I commend the many law enforcement agents, prosecutors, and support staff who have worked so hard for so long to gather and present the evidence that led to today's guilty verdict and all the other terrorism convictions around the world that were part of this case.”

Atlanta FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory Jones said, “The FBI continues to investigate a growing number of cases involving U.S. citizens providing material support to terrorists. However, as we move further away from the tragic events of September 11, 2001, there also seems to be a growing public perception that such conduct is harmless, especially since no bombs were exploded and no one was killed. This defendant, like many others we have investigated, tried to argue that his criminal conduct and activities were protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The FBI does not buy that argument and today the jury agreed." Jones added, "I would like to thank our law enforcement and intelligence community partners, domestic and international, who provided tremendous assistance to the Atlanta FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force throughout the investigation and prosecution of Sadequee, Syed Haris Ahmed, and their co-conspirators.”

According to U.S. Attorney Nahmias and the evidence presented during the trial, which began on August 3, 2009: Sadequee was born in Fairfax, Va., in 1986. He attended school in the United States, Canada, and Bangladesh. In December 2001, while living in Bangladesh, he sent an email seeking to join the Taliban, to help them in their fight against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan. Several years later, in late 2004 and early 2005, Sadequee, having returned to the United States to his family home in Roswell, entered an illegal agreement - a conspiracy - with others to provide material support to terrorists engaged in violent jihad.

The evidence indicated that the material support consisted of (1) Sadequee; his co-defendant, Syed Haris Ahmed, who was convicted after a bench trial in June 2009; and other individuals who intended to provide themselves as personnel to engage in violent jihad abroad and in the United States, and (2) property, namely, short videos of symbolic and infrastructure targets for potential terrorist attacks in the Washington, D.C., area, including the U.S. Capitol, the World Bank, the Masonic Temple, and a fuel tank farm -- all of which were taken by Sadequee and Syed Haris Ahmed to be sent to “the jihadi brothers” abroad.

At trial the government presented evidence that Sadequee and his co-conspirators used the internet to develop relationships and maintain contact with each other and with other supporters of violent jihad in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Bosnia and elsewhere. In support of the conspiracy, in March 2005, Sadequee traveled with Syed Haris Ahmed to Toronto, Canada, to meet with other co-conspirators, including Fahim Ahmed, one of the “Toronto 18” suspects now awaiting a terrorism trial in Canada. While in Canada, Sadequee and his co-conspirators discussed their plans to travel to Pakistan in an effort to attend a paramilitary training camp operated by a terrorist organization, such as Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LET), as preparation for engaging in violent jihad abroad or in the United States. They also discussed potential targets for terrorist attacks in the United States.

In April 2005, Sadequee and Syed Haris Ahmed drove to the Washington, D.C., area to take the casing videos, which the government’s evidence showed they made to establish their credentials with other violent jihad supporters as well as for use in violent jihad propaganda and planning. Sadequee later sent several of the video clips to Younis Tsouli, aka “Irhabi007” (Arabic for “Terrorist 007”), a propagandist and recruiter for the terrorist organization Al Qaeda in Iraq, and to Aabid Hussein Khan, aka “Abu Umar,” a facilitator for the Pakistan-based terrorist organizations LET and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM). Both Tsouli and Khan have since been convicted of terrorism-related offenses in the United Kingdom and are imprisoned there.

During the trial, the government’s evidence showed that Sadequee and Khan, using a members-only violent jihadist web forum known as At-Tibyan Publications, also tried to recruit at least two other individuals to participate in violent jihad. One, a self-identified 17-year-old American convert, was praised by Sadequee for his “capacity of fulfilling [his] largest obligations in [his] native land.”

The government also presented evidence at trial that in July 2005, Syed Haris Ahmed traveled from Atlanta to Pakistan in an attempt to enter a training camp and then engage in violent jihad. While in Pakistan, Syed Haris Ahmed met with Aabid Hussein Khan and the two discussed Ahmed’s intention of joining a camp. However, Ahmed’s family and others convinced him to postpone that effort. The day before Syed Haris Ahmed returned to Atlanta, Sadequee departed Atlanta for Bangladesh, carrying with him, hidden in the lining of his suitcase, an encrypted CD; a map of Washington, D.C., that included all of the targets he and Syed Haris Ahmed had cased; and a scrap of paper with Khan’s mobile phone number in Pakistan.

Once in Bangladesh, Sadequee began to conspire more closely with Younis Tsouli and Mirsad Bektasevic, a Swedish national of Serbian origins. Specifically, Tsouli, Bektasevic, Sadequee and others formed a violent jihadist organization known as “Al Qaeda in Northern Europe.” The group was to be based in Sweden and focus on terrorist attacks in Europe. The evidence at trial showed that in October 2005, Sadequee sought a visa that would allow him to relocate from Bangladesh to Sweden. Bektasevic was arrested in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on Oct. 19, 2005. He and a co-conspirator were found in possession of over 20 pounds of plastic explosives, a suicide belt containing plastic explosives and a detonator, and a firearm with a silencer. Bektasevic also had in his pocket a cassette containing a video demonstrating how to make detonators; displaying an arsenal of semi-automatic weapons, grenades, explosives and other arms, and announcing they were for use in Europe; and depicting Bektasevic and others placing a grenade booby trap in a forest near Sarajevo. Sadequee had been in electronic and telephonic contact with Bektasevic as recently as three days before Bektasevic’s arrest, discussing the silencer and explosives Bektasevic had acquired for the group and the making of Bektasevic’s video. Bektasevic has since been convicted of terrorism offenses in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is imprisoned there.

Meanwhile, after returning to Atlanta to resume his studies at Georgia Tech in August 2005, Syed Haris Ahmed remained in contact with Sadequee, expressed regret at his failure to join violent jihadists in Pakistan, conducted Internet research on topics such as high explosives and defeating Special Operations troops, and discussed his intent to make another attempt to enter a training camp. In March 2006, Ahmed was approached by FBI agents and agreed to a series of voluntary, non-custodial interviews over the course of eight days. Amid efforts to deny his illegal activities and mislead the agents, Ahmed made increasingly incriminating statements. Efforts by the FBI to obtain Ahmed’s cooperation in the ongoing international terrorism investigation ended after the FBI discovered that Ahmed was surreptitiously contacting Sadequee, who was still in Bangladesh, to advise him of the FBI investigation and warn him not to return to the United States.

Sadequee was arrested by the FBI on April 20, 2006, in Bangladesh, on charges arising out of false statements he made in an August 2005 interview with the FBI at JFK Airport in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY). Sadequee was indicted in this district on July 19, 2006, and transferred to Atlanta in August of that year, after the charges in EDNY were dismissed at the Government’s request.

At trial, Sadequee elected to represent himself, with stand-by counsel present to assist him as requested.

Sadequee was convicted today of (1) conspiring to provide material support to terrorists; (2) attempting to provide and providing material support to terrorists; (3) conspiring to provide material support to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LET), a designated foreign terrorist organization; and (4) attempting to provide material support to LET. The material support for terrorists consisted of personnel and property (the Washington casing videos). The material support for LET consisted of personnel. Sadequee could receive a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison, followed by a term of supervised release up to life, and a fine of up to $1,000,000. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. Sentencing for Sadequee and Ahmed is scheduled before Judge Duffey on Oct. 15, 2009, at 9:30 a.m.

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Buford Man Arrested for Threatening to Destroy FBI Buildings‏

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, announces the arrest of 23-year old MICHAEL ROBERT DEJONG of Buford, Georgia. DeJong was arrested at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 11, 2009, by Agents of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) for allegedly making false threats to destroy, via explosives, FBI buildings across the country. He has been charged via Criminal Complaint in the Northern District of Georgia with violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(e).

On February 4, 2009, the FBI received a bomb threat through its website, FBI.gov. The threat was anonymous, but was eventually traced by Agents to a publicly available internet computer in the Auburn, Georgia public library. A search warrant was obtained to examine the contents of the computer, and further investigation led Agents to identify DeJong as the suspect. It was during that investigation the Agents discovered DeJong had been arrested by the United States Secret Service and convicted of making threats against President Bush in 2007.

DeJong was arrested without incident at the Auburn home of a friend. He had an initial appearance before a United States Magistrate the same day of his arrest, and remains in custody pending a probable cause and bond hearing scheduled for Tuesday, February 17, 2009.

The public is reminded that all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Arrest in Bomb Threats Against Atlanta Housing Authority

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, announces the arrest of MICHAEL EZZARD, 46, of Atlanta. EZZARD was arrested by Agents of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) Domestic Terrorism Squad for allegedly making a series of telephonic bomb threats directed against the Atlanta Housing Authority over the period of January 22-26, 2009. The threats resulted in the closure of both the Atlanta Housing Authority and several surrounding streets for three hours on January 22, causing significant disruption to traffic and business in the area. Atlanta Police Department and MARTA Police Department bomb units conducted searches of the Atlanta Housing Authority building, but did not find any bombs.

EZZARD was arrested without incident Tuesday afternoon, pursuant to a Criminal Complaint issued in the Northern District of Georgia, charging him with violating Title 18, Section 844(e) of the United States Code. He is expected to make an initial appearance before a United States Magistrate tomorrow, Friday, January 28th.

The JTTF is an FBI-led, multi-agency task force consisting of 22 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including Department of State, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Transportation Security Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, Federal Protective Service, United States Marshals Service, United States Postal Service, United States Army, United States Secret Service, United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Gwinnett County Police Department, , Dekalb County Police Department, Fulton County Police Department, Cobb County Police Department, Henry County Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, MARTA Police Department, Forest Park Police Department, and Doraville Police Department

The public is reminded that all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Opinion: Keeping America Safe: The View from the FBI

Re “Focus on Immigration Crimes Is Said to Shortchange Other Cases” (front page, Jan. 12): The FBI remains highly committed to the investigation of public corruption and organized crime.

First, uncovering and investigating public corruption by public officials at all levels remains the top criminal priority for the FBI. Today, more FBI agents are assigned to public corruption than ever before, an increase of 38 percent since 2003. Over the past three years, the FBI helped prosecute nearly 2,500 corrupt local, state, and federal officials—a substantial increase over the previous three years and the highest number of prosecutions for such a period ever.

Second, after 9/11, with the FBI’s shift of some resources to fight terrorism, the larger white-collar crime program was restructured. Fewer cases were opened involving “low-hanging fruit” investigations and comparatively small amounts of money. State and local authorities have the jurisdiction to investigate these crimes. FBI resources have targeted corporate and securities fraud, which poses the greatest threat to the nation’s economic security.

Finally, today there are three times as many organized-crime task forces across the country and around the world than at the time of 9/11. Given the counterterrorism and counterintelligence demands, there are fewer FBI agents dedicated to organized crime. But the impact has not diminished: More arrests were made last year than in any year since 2001.

Necessarily, following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the FBI shifted resources to strengthen national security. But there has been no reduction in its commitment to keep America safe—whether from traditional crimes, terrorism, or foreign intelligence collection.

John J. Miller
FBI Assistant Director
for Public Affairs

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Suspicious White Powder Letters Postmarked from Knoxville Received in New York and Massachusetts

On Wednesday January 21, approximately 13 powder-laden envelopes were received at the office of the Wall Street Journal in New York City. The letters reportedly bear a Knoxville, Tennessee postmark. New York City Police Department's Emergency Services Unit and the FBI responded to the scene and are testing the letters to determine whether they contain a hazardous substance.

An additional letter was also received today at Harvard Law School addressed to Alan Dershowitz. This letter was also postmarked Knoxville, Tennessee.

“Right now our first priority is the safety of our citizens,” said Richard Lambert, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Knoxville. “We take these matters seriously and will investigate all leads to determine who sent the letters and why.”

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces in New York, Boston and Knoxville in partnership with the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Anyone with information concerning who may be sending these letters is requested to contact the Knoxville FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force at 865-470-0007 or at www.fbi.gov.

If you receive a letter, please notify the FBI and your local authorities. Information on how to handle suspicious mail can be found at www.fbi.gov.

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