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| Queens College Student Is Charged With Conspiring to Support ISIS | Queens College Student Is Charged With Conspiring to Support ISIS |
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| A college student in Queens has been charged with conspiring to support a foreign terrorist organization after a monthslong investigation found that he was planning to attack various New York City landmarks on behalf of the Islamic State, according to the authorities. | A college student in Queens has been charged with conspiring to support a foreign terrorist organization after a monthslong investigation found that he was planning to attack various New York City landmarks on behalf of the Islamic State, according to the authorities. |
| The student, Munther Omar Saleh, 20, who was studying electrical circuitry at a college specializing in aeronautics in Queens, was arrested on Saturday when investigators said he ran toward an undercover law enforcement car that was following him. The criminal complaint says that Mr. Saleh translated Islamic State propaganda into English, criticized Al Qaeda as “too moderate” and tried to learn how to build an explosive device. | The student, Munther Omar Saleh, 20, who was studying electrical circuitry at a college specializing in aeronautics in Queens, was arrested on Saturday when investigators said he ran toward an undercover law enforcement car that was following him. The criminal complaint says that Mr. Saleh translated Islamic State propaganda into English, criticized Al Qaeda as “too moderate” and tried to learn how to build an explosive device. |
| Mr. Saleh, a United States citizen, searched online for materials required to build a pressure-cooker bomb and looked at images of city tourist attractions in the hope of carrying out an attack, according to the complaint, which was prepared by an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and filed in Federal District Court in Brooklyn. | Mr. Saleh, a United States citizen, searched online for materials required to build a pressure-cooker bomb and looked at images of city tourist attractions in the hope of carrying out an attack, according to the complaint, which was prepared by an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and filed in Federal District Court in Brooklyn. |
| In September, Mr. Saleh posted a message on Twitter that said Al Qaeda was “getting too moderate,” and in February, a message praising the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, “for their high end videos, great weaponry and quality fighters,” according to the complaint. He also expressed support on Twitter for the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in Paris and the attack in May outside a cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, the complaint says. | In September, Mr. Saleh posted a message on Twitter that said Al Qaeda was “getting too moderate,” and in February, a message praising the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, “for their high end videos, great weaponry and quality fighters,” according to the complaint. He also expressed support on Twitter for the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in Paris and the attack in May outside a cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, the complaint says. |
| On two consecutive days in March, a Port Authority police officer saw Mr. Saleh walking on the George Washington Bridge and looking around. Mr. Saleh agreed to come to the Port Authority office in New Jersey for an interview, and let law enforcement agents search his computer. They found what the complaint calls evidence that he was “translating ISIL propaganda into English.” He was also receiving laboratory training in electrical circuitry at his college, which was not identified, honing skills that the complaint called “useful in the construction of an explosive device.” | On two consecutive days in March, a Port Authority police officer saw Mr. Saleh walking on the George Washington Bridge and looking around. Mr. Saleh agreed to come to the Port Authority office in New Jersey for an interview, and let law enforcement agents search his computer. They found what the complaint calls evidence that he was “translating ISIL propaganda into English.” He was also receiving laboratory training in electrical circuitry at his college, which was not identified, honing skills that the complaint called “useful in the construction of an explosive device.” |
| Starting in May, Mr. Saleh conducted extensive online searches for materials for an explosive device, the complaint says, including Crock-Pots, beads, propane, vacuum cleaners, lamps and watches. A watch was the only one of those materials that the complaint says he bought. | Starting in May, Mr. Saleh conducted extensive online searches for materials for an explosive device, the complaint says, including Crock-Pots, beads, propane, vacuum cleaners, lamps and watches. A watch was the only one of those materials that the complaint says he bought. |
| Authorities also watched him in May walk into a spy store in Queens that sells microphone detectors and hidden cameras, though he left without any bags. He later searched online for disguises, including beards and wigs. | Authorities also watched him in May walk into a spy store in Queens that sells microphone detectors and hidden cameras, though he left without any bags. He later searched online for disguises, including beards and wigs. |
| The complaint cites a conversation between a confidential informant and Mr. Saleh in May, during which Mr. Saleh said, “Well I’m in N.Y. and trying to do an op,” referring to an operation. He later cut off communication with the informant, saying he was “ordered by dawlah officials not to talk to anyone.” The complaint says that “dawlah” refers to the Islamic State. | The complaint cites a conversation between a confidential informant and Mr. Saleh in May, during which Mr. Saleh said, “Well I’m in N.Y. and trying to do an op,” referring to an operation. He later cut off communication with the informant, saying he was “ordered by dawlah officials not to talk to anyone.” The complaint says that “dawlah” refers to the Islamic State. |
| Early on Saturday morning, agents saw Mr. Saleh and two unnamed co-conspirators try to elude a surveillance car in their green Jeep Cherokee by speeding through a parking lot with their lights off and pulling over. Later, around 4 a.m., near the Whitestone Expressway in Queens, Mr. Saleh and one of the co-conspirators got out of the Jeep and ran toward the surveillance car. The co-conspirator, who was not charged in the complaint, had a folding knife in his waistband. | Early on Saturday morning, agents saw Mr. Saleh and two unnamed co-conspirators try to elude a surveillance car in their green Jeep Cherokee by speeding through a parking lot with their lights off and pulling over. Later, around 4 a.m., near the Whitestone Expressway in Queens, Mr. Saleh and one of the co-conspirators got out of the Jeep and ran toward the surveillance car. The co-conspirator, who was not charged in the complaint, had a folding knife in his waistband. |
| That co-conspirator had earlier sent Mr. Saleh a link to a YouTube video featuring propaganda about the Islamic State’s operations in Syria, the complaint says. | |
| It was not clear if Mr. Saleh had a lawyer, and the United States attorney’s office in Brooklyn declined to comment beyond the indictment. | It was not clear if Mr. Saleh had a lawyer, and the United States attorney’s office in Brooklyn declined to comment beyond the indictment. |