Minnesota Teen Charged with Lying to Federal Agents in Terrorism Investigation
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iStock/Thinkstock(ST. PAUL, Minn.) — A teenager from Minnesota has been charged with lying to federal agents during a terrorism investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota said Thursday.
Hamza Ahmed, 19, along with three other people, allegedly traveled by bus from Minneapolis to New York City with the intent to fly overseas on November 9, 2014, possibly to attempt to join a terrorist group. The three other individuals were prevented from boarding their flights, while Ahmed was removed from the plane prior to takeoff.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says the flight that Ahmed was pulled from was scheduled to travel to Istanbul. Ahmed claimed he was traveling alone, did not know the other individuals, and was intending to vacation in Madrid for four days alone. After inspecting the itinerary Ahmed had booked, however, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says that he would have had just one day in Madrid, and that he had not booked a hotel room there. Further investigation also revealed that Ahmed had had online conversations with at least one of the other individuals.
“Any person has a right to remain silent, or to consult with an attorney when speaking with federal agents or prosecutors,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said. “However, this Office will continue to prosecute those who lie to federal law enforcement officers and impede criminal investigations into suspected terrorist activity.”
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