HONOLULU: A Hawaii man accused of traveling to Pakistan in a failed effort to join the Taliban or similar group has been arrested.
Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, 21, was charged with making false statements in a matter involving international terrorism, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Monday in the Eastern District of New York. If convicted, Shehadeh would face a maximum sentence of eight years imprisonment.
A US Department of Justice news release said Shehadeh was arrested Friday in Honolulu, and removal proceedings were scheduled to begin Monday. The US attorney’s office in Honolulu referred questions concerning the case to the US attorney’s office in Brooklyn, New York, which didn’t immediately return an after-hours call seeking comment.
It was unknown Monday night if Shehadeh had an attorney.
According to the complaint, Shehadeh, a US citizen, lived on Staten Island, New York, in early 2008 when he devised a plan to travel to Pakistan to join the Taliban or a similar fighting group.
To put the plan into effect, Shehadeh flew on a one-way ticket from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Islamabad, Pakistan, on June 13, 2008, the news release said. But upon landing in Pakistan, Shehadeh was denied entry by Pakistani officials, and he returned to the US, it said.
Under questioning by FBI agents and New York police detectives, Shehadeh initially said he traveled to Pakistan to visit an Islamic university and attend a friend’s wedding, the release said.
The complaint alleged Shehadeh subsequently admitted to FBI agents in Hawaii that the true purpose of his trip to Pakistan was to join a fighting group such as the Taliban.
The complaint also alleged Shehadeh attempted to recruit another person to join him immediately after the two discussed a sermon by radical US-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
Shehadeh later attempted to enlist in the US Army at the Times Square recruiting station in New York City, but his application was denied when it was discovered he concealed his trip to Pakistan, the complaint said.
Shehadeh claimed he wanted to enlist for career opportunities and benefits, but the complaint alleged his true motive was to deploy to Iraq, where he intended to desert and fight against the US military alongside Iraqi insurgent forces.
In addition, the complaint alleged Shehadeh created and administered multiple websites dedicated to spreading violent jihadist ideology.
‘‘As this case demonstrates, we and our partners in law enforcement are committed to preventing terrorist acts before the plots can be set in motion,’’ Loretta E. Lynch, US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in the news release. ‘‘We will spare no effort, and will deploy all available resources, to accomplish this mission.’’ —AP
