A North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to helping to “advance violent jihad” by providing aid to individuals planning attacks in other countries, according to the US Justice Department.
Dylan “Mohammed” Boyd, 24, entered his plea in a federal court on Wednesday. He was arrested and indicted in July 2009 along with seven other defendants in a case that raised fears of homegrown Islamist militancy.
Authorities accused him of having “aided and abetted other named defendants and others who conspired to provide material support and resources to terrorists, including currency, training, transportation and personnel.
“The object of the conspiracy ... was to advance violent jihad, including supporting and participating in terrorist activities abroad and committing acts of murder, kidnapping or maiming persons abroad,” the Justice Department said.
It did not specify where the attacks were to have taken place or how far along the plot had advanced.
Boyd faces up to 15 years in prison.
His father and co-defendant, Daniel Patrick Boyd, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons in a foreign country.
Dylan Boyd's brother and co-defendant, Zakariya Boyd, has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.
The remaining defendants are to be tried later in September.
According to investigators, Daniel Patrick Boyd travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan between 1989 and 1992, where he received military training and fought in Afghanistan.
Last October, a Pakistani-American was sentenced to life in prison for his botched car bomb attempt in New York's famed Times Square, but in a chilling statement warned that jihadist war “has just begun.”
Faisal Shahzad, a recently naturalised US citizen who lived in Connecticut and led what appeared to be a typical immigrant's life, pleaded guilty to the May 1, 2010 bombing attempt. - Sapa-AFP