Man charged for sending threatening tweets in ISIS case
Updated: 5:40 p.m. | Posted: 4:55 p.m.
A Minneapolis man was arrested and charged today after allegedly sending threatening tweets in response to the arrests of six suspected ISIS recruits.
Mahamed Abukar Said allegedly tweeted the photo of the informant who was key in making the arrests of Abdirahman Daud, Mohamed Abdihamid Farah, Adnan Abdihamid Farah, Zacharia Yusuf Abdurahman, Hanad Mustafe Musse and Guled Ali Omar.
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According to an FBI news release Friday, Said was charged with violating a federal law that prohibits "influencing, impeding or retaliating against a federal official by threatening or injuring."
Said, 19, appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Paul before Judge Steven Rau. He wore a burgundy sweater and khakis, with a medium-length beard and his hair in a ponytail.
He spoke firmly as he answered Judge Rau with "Yes, your honor," and "Yes, sir."
According to the criminal complaint, Said, of Minneapolis, tweeted "Ima whack that us attorney general," "Best believe I'll kill for those guys if they don't free my brothers," and "either they're gon free my bros or they gon have a massacre happen then they gon take me too."
"The law enforcement and the U.S. takes that very seriously," assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Perzel said in court Friday.
Said's Twitter account was still active as of Friday, April 24. Threatening tweets appeared in his timeline for a couple of hours after the hearing.
Said was charged with two felony counts of impeding and retaliating against a federal law enforcement officer and using interstate communications to make threats to injure.
The criminal complaint was sealed until Said appeared in court late Friday afternoon.
Judge Rau ordered the complaint unsealed and a detention hearing be held Wednesday, April 29.
"These are very serious charges against Mr. Said," Rau said, "and right now he's presumed innocent."
This is the second similar arrest federal authorities have made in connection with the case.
Guled Omar's younger brother, Mohamed Ali Omar, threatened FBI agents saying he had a "permit to carry" during a visit to Guled's home in November, according to court documents.
A grand jury indicted Mohamed Ali Omar for threatening federal agents. His trial was held in March and he's in custody pending sentencing.
Said is being held in the Sherburne County Jail.