Third accused ISIS recruit expected to plead guilty
A Minnesota man accused of allegedly conspiring to join the terrorist group ISIS is expected to plead guilty Thursday, according to a federal court filing.
Zacharia Abdurahman, 20, was arrested April 19 at his home in Columbia Heights. He was charged with conspiracy and attempting to provide material support to ISIS. He is being held at the Sherburne County Jail.
Abdurahman will be the third man to plead guilty in the federal investigation into eight Minnesota men arrested on charges of trying to enlist with the brutal terrorist group.
Hanad Musse, 19, one of six men arrested on a single day in April, pleaded guilty last week to conspiring to support ISIS. Abdullahi Yusuf, 19, pleaded to a similar charge in February and is now cooperating with the government.
In November 2014, Abdurahman, Musse, Mohamed Farah and Hamza Ahmed were stopped at a New York City airport as they allegedly tried to catch planes that would help them get to Syria.
A 2013 graduate of Heritage Academy of Science and Technology, Abdurahman was studying information technology at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, according to his mother. He also participated in an intensive, yearlong internship on computer systems with Hennepin County.
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