Somali Immigrant Sentenced for Providing Support to Foreign Terrorists
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 31, 2014 |
SAN DIEGO—Ahmed Nasir Taalil Mohamud, a cabdriver from Anaheim, was sentenced today to six years in prison for his part in a San Diego-based conspiracy to provide material support to the terrorist group al Shabaab.
Nasir is the last of four defendants to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey T. Miller. The others were sentenced in November 2013, including San Diego cabdriver Basaaly Saeed Moalin to 18 years in prison; Mohamed Mohamed Mohamud, the imam at a popular mosque frequented by the city’s immigrant Somali community, to 13 years in prison; and Issa Doreh, who worked at a money transmitting business that was the conduit for moving the illicit funds, to 10 years in prison.
Nasir and his co-conspirators were found guilty during a three-week trial in February. The United States presented evidence that Nasir, Moalin, Mohamud, and Doreh conspired to provide money to al Shabaab, a violent and brutal militia group that engages in suicide bombings, targets civilians for assassination, and uses improvised explosive devices. In February, 2008, the U.S. Department of State formally designated al Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization.
During the trial, the government contended that Nasir conspired to collect money from donors in Orange County as part of the conspiracy to support al Shabaab.
During today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Miller acknowledged that Nasir was the least culpable member of the conspiracy, and he noted the defendant’s background as a refugee from war-torn Somalia. Still, the judge said, “These offenses were very serious.”
This case was prosecuted in federal court in San Diego by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Cole and Caroline Han and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Steven Ward. This case was investigated by the San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection.
Defendants in Criminal Case No. 10CR4246-JM
Ahmed Nasir Taalil Mohamud
Basaaly Saeed Moalin
Mohamed Mohamed Mohamud
Issa Doreh
Summary of Charges
Count one (all defendants): Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339A(a)(1)—conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists; Maximum penalties: 15 years in prison
Count two (all defendants): Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B(a)(1)—conspiracy to provide material support to foreign terrorist organization; terrorists;
Maximum penalties: 15 years in prison
Count three (all defendants): Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h)—conspiracy to launder monetary instruments;
Maximum penalties: 15 years in prison
Count four (Basaaly Moalin) Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339A(a)—providing material support to terrorists;
Maximum penalties: 15 years in prison
Count five (defendants Basaaly Moalin, Mohamed Mohamed Mohamud, and Issa Doreh) Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B(a)(1)—providing material support to foreign terrorist organization;
Maximum penalties 15 years in prison
Investigating Agencies
- San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection