Minneapolis Man Charged With Threatening Agents On Twitter; In Custody
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 19-year-old Minneapolis man was arrested by the FBI Friday for making threats against law enforcement on Twitter after the arrest of another man accused of conspiring to help ISIS.
The FBI says Khaalid Adam Abdulkadir is charged with one count of impeding and retaliating against a federal law enforcement officer.
He is accused of threatening FBI special agents on social media after the arrest of 20-year-old Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame on Wednesday.
Abdulkadir was allegedly in touch with not just one of the indicted terror suspects from Minnesota, but two -- Mujahid Miski and Abdi Nur. Both are seen as heroes within ISIS networks, and Miski just surrendered in Somalia earlier this week.
Abdulkadir had been under FBI surveillance for more than a year prior to Friday's arrest, and his social media conversations were being monitored. When terror suspects were extradited from California in May 2015, the complaint says Abdulkadir was among a group of people videotaping a federal marshal.
The complaint further explains that this incident occurs in context of other attempts of groups trying to scope out the Minneapolis Federal Courthouse, though there were no hearings taking place in the building at the time noted in the complaint.
"FBI agents in Minneapolis and around the country risk their lives every day to keep the rest of us safe," U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said. "While there are many legitimate means in the United States to voice dissent and difference of opinion with our government, threatening violent retaliation against federal agents is both illegal and outrageous. My office will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who threaten to kill federal officials who work on behalf of all Americans."
Agent Richard T. Thornton says Abdulkadir was arrested without incident.
He was scheduled to make his first court appearance in U.S. District Court on Friday afternoon. His case was continued until next Wednesday afternoon. He will be held in custody until then.
He has been appointed a federal defender. He said he has no cash to pay an attorney because he makes only just over $1,200 per month and everything he doesn't use after paying for his cell phone and insurance he gives to his mother.
In the complaint, prosecutors named for the first time a Minnesotan investigators had been monitoring. Hanad Mohallim, who went to Burnsville High School, left the country in March 2014. Prosecutors said that they now believe he died in November while fighting with ISIS in Syria.
