Oct 21, 2009
Sudbury Man Arrested On Terrorism Charges
BOSTON (WBZ) ― A man from Sudbury was arrested Wednesday on federal terrorism-related charges for allegedly planning attacks inside and outside the United States – including a plot to attack people at a mall.
27-year-old Tarek Mehanna of Fairhaven Circle is charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston.
Investigators say Mehanna conspired with others over a seven-year period between 2001 and 2008 plotting to "kill, kidnap, maim or injure" people in foreign countries and to kill prominent U.S. politicians.
He and two others allegedly travelled to the Middle East in 2004 to look for military-type training for attacks on U.S. interests.
Prosecutors say Mehanna had "multiple conversations about obtaining automatic weapons and randomly shooting people at a shopping mall."
"The conversations went so far as to discuss the logistics of a mall attack including coordination, weapons needed and the possibility of attacking emergency responders," investigators said in a statement.
The plan was scrapped because the men could not get the weapons.
Sudbury is an upscale suburb about 20 miles west of Boston.
The status of the two co-conspirators is still unknown.
If convicted Mehanna faces 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
He was indicted in January for allegedly making false statements to the FBI in a terrorism investigation.
terrorism
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