Defendant Sentenced for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Foreign Terrorist Organizations

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, John P. Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and the members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), announce that Mohamed Hussain Said, 27, a citizen and resident of Nairobi, Kenya, was sentenced to fifteen years in prison by U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro, for conspiring to provide material support to three separately designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, al-Qa’ida, al-Qa’ida in Iraq/al-Nusrah Front (“AQI/al-Nusrah Front”), and al-Shabaab.

On May 28, 2015, Said pled guilty to Count 1 of an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to provide money and recruits to al-Qa’ida, AQI/al-Nusrah Front in Syria, and al-Shabaab in Somalia. During the conspiracy, Said received a series of wire transfers from co-conspirator Gufran Ahmed Mohammed for the purpose of supporting al-Shabaab, and recruited experienced al-Shabaab fighters for AQI/al-Nusrah Front to fight in the conflict in Syria.  Additionally, Said tried to recruit other individuals for attacks within the United States.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian K. Frazier and Ricardo A. Del Toro and Trial Attorney Jolie F. Zimmerman from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov