A former U.S. Army soldier from Laurel has been accused of trying to help the Somali terrorist group al-Shabaab.
Craig Baxam, 24, attempted to travel to Somalia last month to give money to the terrorist organization, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Greenbelt. Baxam was arrested by Kenyan authorities on Dec. 23 with the $600 to $700 he planned to give al-Shabaab as an initial offering, the complaint says.
He was returned to Maryland from Africa on Friday.
Baxam joined the Army in 2007, spent eight months training in cryptology and intelligence, and was deployed to Baghdad, according to prosecutors and court documents. He later was sent to Korea before separating from the Army in July 2011. Shortly before he left the Army, Baxam converted to Islam, court documents say.
He cashed out his $3,600 in retirement savings for the trip to Somalia, the documents say. Baxam told Kenyan police that he was “looking for dying with a gun in my hand” and would willingly die to defend Islam, according to the complaint. Baxam also said that if he were living with al-Shabaab or the Taliban and the U.S. military invaded, he would fight against the United States.
“FBI special agents in Africa, working alongside our Kenyan police partners, worked together to stop an individual who is now alleged to have been on his way to join a major terrorist group,” FBI Special Agent Richard McFeely said in a statement.
Baxam could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
