A former Army National Guardsman and Muslim immigrant
from Sierra Leone, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh pleaded guilty on
October 27th, 2016, to charges of attempting to provide
material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL), according to a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
announcement.
Jalloh, 27, of Sterling, Va., was arrested in July on charges of
assisting an ISIS plot to attack the United States and was
taken into custody.
Court documents said a now deceased member of ISIS who
was plotting an attack introduced Jalloh and someone in the
United States who was actually an informant for the FBI in
March 2016.
Jalloh had met the ISIS member and others during a recent
six-month trip to Nigeria. Jalloh met twice with the informant
and told this person that he'd decided not to re-enlist in
the Virginia Army National Guard after hearing lectures from
late star al-Qaeda recruiter Anwar al-Awlaki.
He also told the informant that he'd frequently thought about
conducting an attack in the U.S., according to the statement
of facts filed with the plea agreement.
Jalloh said he was
inspired by the July 2015 Chattanooga attack and the
November 2009 Fort Hood attack.
Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field
Office Paul M. Abbate said Jalloh purchased a weapon
following multiple attempts to procure assault rifles and
handguns, believing they would be used in an ISIL-directed
attack on U.S. soil."Jalloh bought an assault rifle from a
Northern Virginia gun dealer on July 2; even though he test-
fired the gun first, it was rendered inoperable before he took
it home. He was arrested the next day.
"Jalloh also provided money on multiple occasions
to support ISIL after attempting to join the terrorist
group," Abbate said. This included a $500 transfer
that Jalloh thought was going to ISIS but went to an
undercover FBI employee.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea
agreement, during the May 2016 meeting, Jalloh asked the
CHS about the timeline for an operation and commented that
it was better to plan an attack operation for the month of
Ramadan, and stated that such operations are, "100 percent
the right thing."
"Jalloh attempted to provide material support to ISIL
by transferring funds intended for use by ISIL, taking
steps to join and assist others in joining ISIL, and
attempting to obtain a weapon that he believed
would be used in an attack on U.S. soil in the name
of ISIL," said Mary B. McCord, Acting Assistant
Attorney General for National Security.
"Counterterrorism remains our highest priority and
we will continue to hold accountable those who
attempt to provide material support to foreign
terrorist organizations."
Jalloh faces up to 20 years in prison when he's sentenced
on February, 10, 2017, according to DOJ announcement.
