In Oklahoma City, an 18-year-old Afghan national, Abdullah Haji Zada, has admitted his involvement in a plot to execute an attack coinciding with Election Day. According to federal prosecutors, Zada, who resided in Moore, Oklahoma, pled guilty to charges of knowingly acquiring and conspiring to acquire firearms and ammunition with the intention of using them for a terrorist act, as detailed in court documents.
Zada, who was just 17 at the time of his arrest, faces possible sentencing that could include up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of the plea agreement, he will also be deported from the United States after serving his sentence.
Efforts to contact Zada’s legal representation, Jeff Byers, through phone and email on Thursday did not elicit an immediate response.
His co-conspirator, 27-year-old Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, who formerly worked as a security guard at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, awaits trial. He is charged with conspiring and attempting to supply material support to the Islamic State group, prosecutors claim.
The allegations against Zada and Tawhedi include efforts to secure AK-47 rifles and ammunition with the intention of conducting an attack on large gatherings on Election Day of the previous year.