FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICEThursday, June 14, 2012
North Carolina Resident Found Guilty of Terrorism Violations
Today in federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina, a jury found Anes Subasic, 35, guilty of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons abroad, announced Thomas G. Walker, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina; Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; M. Chris Briese, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI, Charlotte Division; and John F. Khin, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Field Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).
Subasic was charged along with seven other defendants in a federal indictment returned on July 22, 2009. In a separate trial in September 2011, Subasic was found guilty of two counts of unlawful procurement of citizenship.
“We must be ever vigilant in our prosecution of those who seek to visit terror on our way of life,” stated U.S. Attorney Walker. “This prosecution demonstrates that commitment.”
“Anes Subasic is the seventh individual to be convicted in connection with this multi-year conspiracy to kill persons abroad and provide material support to terrorism. I applaud the many agents, analysts and prosecutors who helped bring about this successful outcome,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.
“Subasic was part of a group of terrorists; some viewed their own country as the enemy. This verdict is the culmination of years of hard work by our Raleigh-Durham Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is composed of our vital law enforcement partners. The JTTF will continue its relentless effort to thwart terrorism in North Carolina,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Briese.
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is proud to have worked jointly with the Raleigh FBI JTTF in the investigation of Anes Subasic and others indicted of terrorism-related charges,” stated DCIS Special Agent in Charge Khin. “Subasic was part of a conspiracy to commit violent acts against U.S. service members and others abroad. The DCIS remains steadfast in its commitment to protect the warfighter and to thwart efforts of individuals like Subasic.”
According to the superseding indictment, from roughly November 2006 through at least July 2009, Subasic and the other defendants conspired to provide material support and resources to terrorists, including currency, training, transportation and personnel. Subasic also conspired to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons abroad during this period. The object of the conspiracy, according to the indictment, was to advance violent jihad, including supporting and participating in terrorist activities abroad and committing acts of murder, kidnapping or maiming persons abroad.
The defendants allegedly offered training in weapons and financing, and helped arrange overseas travel and contacts so others could wage violent jihad overseas.
The defendants raised money to support training efforts, disguised the destination of such monies from the donors, and obtained assault weapons to develop skills with the weapons. Some defendants also allegedly radicalized others to believe that violent jihad was a personal religious obligation.
In February, 2011, Daniel Boyd, the leader, pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure persons in a foreign country and is currently awaiting sentencing. Boyd’s two sons, Zakariya and Dylan Boyd, have also pleaded guilty. Zakariya Boyd pleaded guilty on June 27, 2011, to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, and was sentenced to 108 months in prison. Dylan Boyd pleaded guilty on Sept. 14, 2011, to aiding and abetting a conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and received a 96-month prison sentence.
On Oct. 13, 2011, following a 17-day trial, a jury found Hysen Sherifi, Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan and Ziyad Yaghi guilty. Sherifi was found guilty of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists; conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons in a foreign country; two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and conspiring to kill a federal officer or employee and was sentenced to 540 months in prison. Hassan and Yaghi were found guilty of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons in a foreign country. Hassan received a 180-month prison term and Yaghi received 380 months in prison.
At sentencing, Subasic faces up to 15 years in prison, followed by up to three years supervised release for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, and up to a term of life in prison followed by up to five years of supervised release for conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure persons in a foreign country.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Raleigh-Durham Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the FBI, the DCIS, the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, the Raleigh Police Department, the Durham Police Department and the North Carolina Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Bowler of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Jason Kellhofer of the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
