OC Men Indicted on Terror Charges

Two Anaheim men were indicted Wednesday for allegedly attempting to help the terrorist group ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Muhanad Elfatih M.A. Badawi and Nader Salem Elhuzayel, both 24, were initially charged May 22. FBI agents arrested the two the previous day-- Elhuzayel at Los Angeles International Airport and Badawi at an apartment in Anaheim.

Prosecutors bypassed a preliminary hearing by presenting the case to the grand jury, which handed down the indictment today.

Investigators alleged in the criminal complaint filed earlier that the two discussed via social media terrorist attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, as well as their desire to martyr themselves.

The two are also accused of trying to arrange for Elhuzayel to leave the country and join ISIS, according to federal prosecutors.

On May 3, Elhuzayel saw a Twitter post from Elton Simpson, one of the two gunmen killed that day carrying out an attack at a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, according to an affidavit in support of the criminal complaint.

In the tweet, Simpson stated that he and his “bro” had pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS. In response, Elhuzayel tweeted his support for the attempted attack and praised Simpson as a “martyr,” according to federal prosecutors.

In recorded conversations last month, Badawi and Elhuzayel “discussed how it would be a blessing to fight for the cause of Allah, and to die in the battlefield,” and they referred to ISIS as “we,” according to the affidavit.

Prosecutors allege that when Badawi expressed concerns about ISIS struggling due to airstrikes by coalition forces, Elhuzayel responded that they had to be patient, and “can you imagine when al-Qaida joins with Islamic State”?

According to court papers, Badawi responded: “We will be huge.”

The two men also allegedly discussed local Muslim leaders, with Elhuzayel complaining that those leaders were not “legitimate” because they believed in democracy and were not fighting for an Islamic state.

The men discussed where in the Middle East they would rather be, and Elhuzayel said he wanted to fight and did not want to be in the United States, according to the conversations recounted in the affidavit.

On May 7, Badawi allowed Elhuzayel to use his credit card to purchase a one-way airline ticket for travel from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv, Israel, via Istanbul, Turkey, on a Turkish Airlines flight scheduled to depart the same day, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Badawi indicated that he would be traveling to the Middle East in the future, according to the affidavit.

According to the allegations in the complaint, Elhuzayel admitted after being read his Miranda rights that he planned to disembark in Istanbul to join ISIS and did not intend to travel on to Israel.

If convicted as charged, Badawi and Elhuzayel each would face up to 15 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.

OTHER PATCH HEADLINES

• Homemade Cell Phone Charger Causes Bomb Scare, Beach Closure
• Racist Flyer Telling Black Tenants to Be Quiet Is a Mystery, Property Management Says
• Bystanders Rescue Teen from Accused Rapist, Police Say
• Newport Beach Police to Hold DUI Checkpoint
• Father and Son Killed in Murder-Suicide Identified
• Standoff Ends in Apparent Murder-Suicide of Toddler and Man
• Alleged South County Housekeeper Burglars Head to Court
• Cofounder of OC Skate/Surfwear Label Convicted of Fraud

City News Service