Three California Men Charged with Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

SAN DIEGO—San Diego residents Basaaly Saeed Moalin, Mohamed Mohamed Mohamud, aka Mohamed Khadar, and Issa Doreh were charged today with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, and related offenses, announced U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Laura E. Duffy.

According to the indictment, handed up on October 22, 2010, and unsealed today, Moalin, Mohamud, and Doreh conspired to provide money to al Shabaab, a violent and brutal militia group in Somalia. In February 2008, the Department of State designated al Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization. The indictment alleges that al Shabaab has used assassinations, improvised explosive devices, rockets, mortars, automatic weapons, suicide bombings, and other tactics of intimidation and violence to undermine Somalia’s transitional federal government and its supporters.

The indictment further alleges that, in late 2007 and early 2008, Moalin was in direct telephone contact with Aden Hashi Ayrow, who was a prominent military leader of al Shabaab. Ayrow requested money from Moalin, who then coordinated the fundraising efforts and money transfers with Mohamud and Doreh. According to the indictment, Moalin also provided a house in Somalia, knowing the house would be used in preparation for, and to carry out, a conspiracy to kill persons in a foreign country. The indictment alleges that after Ayrow’s death on May 1, 2008, the conspirators continued to transfer money from San Diego to Somalia to fund terrorist activities.

With the assistance of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, special agents of the FBI arrested Moalin on Oct. 31, 2010, at San Diego International Airport, shortly before Moalin was scheduled to board a flight. On November 1, 2010, agents arrested Mohamud and Doreh, also in San Diego.

On Nov. 2, 2010, U.S. Magistrate Judge William V. Gallo arraigned Moalin on the indictment and ordered him held without bail pending a detention hearing scheduled for Nov. 5, 2010. Mohamud and Doreh are expected to appear before Judge Gallo on Nov. 3, 2010, for arraignment.

According to U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy, the arrests arise from a lengthy investigation by the San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force.

An indictment itself is not evidence that the defendants committed the crimes charged. The defendants are presumed innocent until the government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.