[PJ] A Toledo, Ohio-area woman, Alaa Mohd Abusaad, was arrested Tuesday on charges that she directed an undercover FBI employee to send money to al-Qaeda in Syria.Abusaad, 22 years old, had recently lived in Birmingham, Alabama, where the charges were filed. She was introduced to the undercover operative earlier this year through an associate while still in Birmingham.
A Justice Department press release summarized the charges:
As set forth in the complaint, Abusaad instructed an FBI undercover employee (UCE) about how to send money to the mujahedeen -- fighters engaged in jihad. Abusaad told the UCE that money "is always needed. You can’t have a war without weapons. You can’t prepare a soldier without equipment."
Abusaad also advised the UCE on how to send money in a manner that would avoid detection by law enforcement, including by using fake names and addresses when conducting electronic money transfers. Subsequently, Abusaad introduced the UCE to a financial facilitator who could route the UCE’s money to "brothers that work with aq" (meaning al-Qaeda).
Abusaad faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
The FBI affidavit filed with the criminal complaint records the discussions and direction that Abusaad provided to the undercover operative. They used a mobile messaging application, where she provided direction on sending money to al-Qaeda by using a fake name and keeping the amounts between $300-400 to avoid detection.