Superseding Indictment Charges Two Men with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

June 18, 2010 - BOSTON, MA—Two men were charged today in a superseding indictment with one count each of conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division, announced today that TAREK MEHANNA, 27, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, and AHMAD ABOUSAMRA, 28, who currently resides in Syria, were charged in a superseding indictment with one count each of conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. This charge is additional to the prior 10-count superseding indictment charging them with providing and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, conspiracy to provide false information to law enforcement, and a number of separate counts of false statements to law enforcement.

The superseding indictment alleges that, beginning in or about 2001 and continuing until in or about the date of the return of the superseding indictment, MEHANNA and ABOUSAMRA conspired with each other, and others, to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely al Qaeda, by agreeing with their co-conspirators to provide personnel, expert advice and assistance, services, and other assistance. According to the superseding indictment, MEHANNA and ABOUSAMRA committed numerous overt acts that they believed would further their objective to provide material support to al Qaeda.

MEHANNA was previously indicted in January 2009 for making false statements to members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in connection with a terrorism investigation. On October 21, 2009, he was arrested on a Criminal Complaint and on November 5, 2009, he was charged in a superseding indictment and is currently being detained based on an order from the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts.

If convicted on the material support charges, MEHANNA and ABOUSAMRA each face up to 15 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by supervised release for any term of years up to life and a $250,000 fine, on each of the two counts. If convicted of conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, MEHANNA and ABOUSAMRA each face up to life imprisonment, to be followed by supervised release for any term of years up to life.

Two of the false statement counts alleged against MEHANNA and one alleged against ABOUSAMRA concern false statements in connection with a terrorism investigation; on those counts, the defendants face a maximum of eight years' imprisonment, to be followed by three years’ supervised release and a $250,000 fine on each count. The remaining false statement counts and the conspiracy to provide false information, each carry up to five years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and involved officers and agents from a number of other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Auerhahn and Aloke S. Chakravarty of Ortiz’s Anti-Terrorism and National Security Unit.

The details contained in the superseding indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.