FBI Accuses Mesquite Man Of Lying About Islamic State
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - A man from Mesquite is accused of lying to federal agents about whether he supported the leader of the Islamic State group.
Authorities said Thursday that Bilal Abood of Mesquite admitted he posted an oath on Twitter to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State. A criminal complaint says agents searching Abood's computer also found he was watching beheadings carried out by Islamic State fighters.
The Islamic State currently rules parts of Iraq and Syria and has taken responsibility for attacks like the shooting earlier this month outside a controversial Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland.
Abood is being held in federal custody pending a detention hearing Friday.
He did not have an attorney listed in online court records or a listed phone number.
Abood will face a detention hearing Friday morning, where prosecutors will try to ask a judge to keep him locked up.
The FBI has been keeping tabs on Abood for more than two years.
A federal complaint says in March, 2013, Abood was stopped from boarding a plane at DFW International Airport.At the time, the FBI says Abood claimed he was heading to Iraq to visit family.
But agents say he later admitted that he had intended to travel to Syria to fight against the Assad regime.
In April 2013, the FBI says an informant told agents that Abood was in San Antonio planning to go to fight in Syria. Court documents say Abood was watching Al-Qaida videos on social media and videos about the creation of ISIL.
Later that month, agents say Abood went to Mexico, then travelled to Turkey.
When the FBI says he returned to the U.S. in September of 2013, authorities say Abood admitted traveling to Syria from Turkey.
Agents say Abood denied he provided any support to ISIL or ISIS or any other terrorist organization.
But in June, 2014, the FBI says Abood sent out this tweet, "I pledge allegiance to the Caliphate Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi", the self-proclaimed leader of ISIL or ISIS.
Abood goes onto say, "Here we renew our pledge to the Caliphate Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi come on supporter where is the pledger."
The feds say as they went through Abood's computer last year, they found he watched ISIL atrocities, including beheadings and tweeted information about al-Baghdadi.
Just last month, agents say Abood admitted he knew it was a crime to lie to the FBI. Prosecutors have 30 days to present their case to a federal grand jury.
If indicted and ultimately convicted, Abood faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison.
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