An Afghan national living in Oklahoma pleaded guilty Friday to terrorism-related charges for plotting an Election Day attack in 2024 on behalf of the Islamic State (ISIS).
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, admitted in federal court to conspiring to support a terrorist organization and attempting to receive firearms to commit a federal crime of terrorism. The U.S. designates ISIS as a foreign terrorist organization.
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Tawhedi now faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison.
“The defendant admits he planned and obtained firearms to carry out a violent terror attack on Election Day in 2024, a plot that was detected and disrupted through the good work of the FBI and our partners,” said FBI Director Kash Patel in a statement.
Tawhedi, who lived in Oklahoma City, acquired two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition in preparation for an attack targeting large crowds, according to court records. Authorities say he conspired for months with several individuals, including his 17-year-old brother-in-law, Abdullah Haji Zada.
Zada was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty in April. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
Tawhedi entered the U.S. in September 2021 on a Special Immigrant Visa shortly after the Taliban takeover of Kabul. At the time of his October 7 arrest, he was on immigration parole, which has since been revoked, the Justice Department confirmed.
Before his arrest, Tawhedi had been under FBI surveillance for over a month. He worked as a rideshare driver and held jobs at local auto shops.
