Columbus Mall Terrorist Gets Prison

Woo-hoo! Another terrorist convicted.

(Columbus, Ohio) In June 2004, a 32-year-old Somali immigrant, Nuradin Mahamoud Abdi, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaida, and two counts of fraud and misuse of government documents.

Abdi plotted with convicted al-Qaeda terrorist Iyman Faris to blow up a shopping mall in Columbus. Note that Faris is doing 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring in the failed plot to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge.

On Tuesday of this week, Abdi pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaeda.

Nuradin Abdi, 35, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley a week before his trial had been expected to start Aug. 6.

"In this climate an American jury, we felt, could potentially find him guilty because of all this negative stuff that's coming in, and if they found him guilty he was looking at spending the rest of his life in custody," said Abdi's attorney, Mahir Sherif. "The government came back with another offer, so he decided to take it."

Under a plea deal, Abdi is expected to receive a 10-year sentence on the count, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years. Three other charges were dropped and he will be deported after serving his sentence.

So, Abdi can look forward to 10 years in federal prison and a return ticket to Somalia.


[Update 11/30/07]

Abdi sentenced.