A former member of the Army National Guard was sentenced to 11 years in prison after meeting members of the Islamic State in Africa and plotting an attack in the U.S., according to Justice Department.
Mohamed Bailor Jalloh wanted to attack a military installation, in the style of the Chattanooga, Tenn., and Fort Hood shootings, according to the Justice Department. He had served in the Virginia Army National Guard but “decided not to re-enlist after listening to online lectures by Anwar al-Awlaki,” the U.S. citizen who was killed in a drone strike after emerging as al Qaeda’s top propagandist.
After leaving the military, Jalloh connected with ISIS members in Nigeria during a six-month trip to Africa. A member of the terrorist group put him in touch with someone in the United States — but neither of them realized that contact was an informant for the FBI.
“Jalloh asked the [informant] about the timeline for an operation and commented that it was better to plan an attack operation for the month of Ramadan, and stated that such operations are, ‘100 percent the right thing,'” the Justice Department said.
The sentencing comes in the midst of litigation over President Trump’s immigration order suspending travel from several countries in the Middle East and Africa plagued by jihadist movements. Nigeria is not one of the listed countries, however.
Given that his planning was monitored by the confidential human source, federal agents were able to arrest Jalloh after “he test-fired and purchased an assault rifle.” The ISIS member who “brokered an introduction” to the Jalloh’s contact in the United States is “now-deceased,” the DOJ also noted.
