The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A third man suspected of plotting with terrorists to blow up a Columbus-area shopping mall is under surveillance, a federal prosecutor said.
A federal terrorism task force has the suspect “in a situation where we’re convinced no harm will befall the citizens of Columbus,” U.S. Attorney Gregory Lockhart said.
Two others have been accused in the alleged plot. Nuradin Abdi, 32, a Somali native, was charged with conspiring with admitted al-Qaida member Iyman Faris and others to detonate a bomb at the unidentified mall after he obtained military-style training in Ethiopia. Abdi’s indictment was unsealed Monday.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force searched the Columbus apartment last week of the third suspect, The Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday, citing unidentified federal sources. The man shared the apartment with Faris, the newspaper reported.
Federal officials have refused to say what they were seeking during the search.
If convicted, Abdi could get up to 80 years in prison. Faris is imprisoned for seeking to sabotage the Brooklyn Bridge.
Lockhart said investigators believe at least one other person who remains free was involved in the conspiracy and that person remains under tight surveillance. He said authorities are still trying to determine how many others might have been involved.