The Ashburn man accused of plotting with people he thought were al Qaeda to bomb Metro stations is expected to plead guilty. A change-of-plea hearing for Farooque Ahmed is scheduled for Monday in federal court in Alexandria.
An indictment filed in October says Ahmed, 34, conducted surveillance and recorded video of three Metrorail stations in Virginia, then gave the footage to government agents posing as al Qaeda terrorists. He is also accused of suggesting to them the ways to cause the most destruction. Court documents 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 three terrorism-related offenses. The charges against him carry a maximum sentence of 50 years.
