Mathias Busekist
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi entered his guilty plea Friday in federal court to two serious offenses
A 27-year-old Afghan national living in Oklahoma has pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges after federal authorities uncovered a plot to carry out a violent attack on Election Day 2024 in support of the Islamic State (ISIS), according to CNN.
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi entered his guilty plea Friday in federal court to two serious offenses: conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and attempting to receive firearms to commit a federal crime of terrorism. He now faces a potential sentence of up to 35 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Tawhedi had been plotting for months to carry out a mass-casualty attack using assault-style weapons. He acquired two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, with the intent to target large crowds on Election Day.
His plan, federal officials say, was disrupted before it could be executed thanks to coordinated efforts by the FBI and partner agencies.
“The defendant admits he planned and obtained firearms to carry out a violent terror attack on Election Day in 2024, a plot that was detected and disrupted through the good work of the FBI and our partners,” said FBI Director Kash Patel in a statement.
Authorities say Tawhedi was not acting alone. He conspired with others, including his 17-year-old brother-in-law, Abdullah Haji Zada, who was also charged as an adult. Zada pleaded guilty in April and faces up to 15 years in prison.
Tawhedi entered the U.S. in September 2021 on a special immigrant visa following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. He was living in Oklahoma City, working as a rideshare driver and at local auto shops, when federal agents began monitoring him. He was arrested on October 7, 2023, while on immigration parole—an immigration status that has since been revoked, according to the Department of Justice.