An Afghan national residing in the US has been accused by federal prosecutors of planning an ISIS-inspired attack on Election Day. Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, a 27-year-old from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was allegedly plotting to carry out a violent assault in the name of ISIS. According to court documents that were unsealed on Tuesday, Tawhedi intended to fund his plan by selling his family’s assets, purchasing AK-47 rifles, and accumulating ammunition.
Upon meeting with an FBI informant in Oklahoma, Tawhedi and a minor accomplice attempted to buy two AK-47s, 10 magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition. Subsequently, they were apprehended by authorities. The criminal complaint revealed that Tawhedi expressed his intentions to carry out the attack on Election Day, targeting large public gatherings where he and his co-conspirator would be expected to die as martyrs.
Tawhedi faces charges of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which could result in a maximum 20-year prison sentence, as well as receiving a firearm to commit a felony or terrorism-related crime, carrying a maximum 15-year prison term if convicted. Attorney General Merrick Garland commented on the case, stating that the Justice Department had thwarted the defendant’s scheme to acquire weapons and conduct a violent act under the banner of ISIS on US soil during Election Day.
Garland affirmed the department’s commitment to combating the persistent threat posed by ISIS and its affiliates to national security. Prosecutors will diligently investigate and prosecute individuals who seek to instill fear in the American populace. The situation is still evolving, and further details may emerge in due course.