Defendant Sentenced for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Foreign Terrorist Organizations

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office and the members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), announce that Gufran Ahmed Kauser Mohammed, 31, a naturalized United States citizen and resident of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro, for conspiring to provide material support to three separately designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, al-Qa’ida, al-Qa’ida in Iraq/al-Nusrah Front (“AQI/al-Nusrah Front”), and al-Shabaab.

On July 11, 2014, Mohammed pled guilty to Count 1 of an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to provide money and recruits to al-Qa’ida, AQI/al-Nusrah Front in Syria, and al-Shabaab in Somalia.  The charges allege that Mohammed sent a series of wire transfers to coconspirator Mohamed Hussein Said for the purpose of supporting al-Shabaab, and to an individual whom he believed was a terrorist fundraiser, recruiter, and supplier for the purpose of supporting al-Qa’ida and AQI/al-Nusrah Front.  In addition, Mohammed agreed to support al-Qa’ida and AQI/al-Nusrah Front by recruiting individuals to fight in the conflict in Syria.  Mohammed earmarked certain of his financial contributions for the purpose of buying weapons and funding attacks on United States citizens or the United Nations.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jolie F. Zimmerman from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian K. Frazier and Ricardo A. Del Toro.