The Ashburn man accused of plotting to bomb Metro stations with people he thought were al Qaeada is expected to plead guilty next week.
Farooque Ahmed had previously entered a not guilty plea to terrorism charges, but a change-of-plea hearing is scheduled for Monday afternoon in federal court in Alexandria, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
An indictment filed in October says Ahmed, 34, told government agents posing as al Qaeda terrorists that the best hour to strike the transit targets would be between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to “cause the most casualties.” He conducted surveillance and recorded video of three Metrorail stations in Virginia. He then gave the footage of Arlington Cemetery, Court House and Pentagon City stations to persons posing as terrorists, according to the indictment.
Court documents also say that Ahmed, a U.S. citizen who was born in Pakistan, obtained firearms, was training to conduct jihad and sought martyrdom.
He is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, collecting information to assist in planning a terrorist attack on a transit facility, and attempting to provide material support to terrorists.
