Yesterday, a federal grand jury in Brooklyn returned an indictment charging Munther Omar Saleh, a Queens resident, with attempt and conspiracy to provide material support to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and assault and conspiracy to assault federal officers.
The same indictment charges Fareed Mumuni, a Staten Island resident, with attempt and conspiracy to provide material support to ISIL, assault and conspiracy to assault federal officers, and attempted murder of federal officers. The defendants’ arraignments are scheduled for August 20, 2015 at 11 a.m. before United States Magistrate Judge James Orenstein at the U.S. Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York.
As alleged in the indictment and in other court filings, during the charged conspiracy the defendants espoused radical jihadist beliefs and fervent support for ISIL. Saleh also made efforts to prepare a “pressure cooker” bomb for detonation in the New York metropolitan area on behalf of ISIL. On June 13, 2015, Saleh and another individual were arrested in Queens after they charged at a federal officer while armed with knives. On June 17, 2015, during the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Staten Island, Mumuni was arrested after repeatedly stabbing an FBI agent in the torso with a large kitchen knife. Fortunately, the knife did not penetrate the agent’s body armor. During a search of the vehicle used by Mumuni, investigators recovered a second large knife.
“As alleged in the indictment, both Munther Omar Saleh and Fareed Mumuni demonstrated their support for ISIL by attacking the law enforcement officers. The arresting officers exercised extraordinary skill and remarkable restraint in subduing the defendants, who will now face the full force of justice in federal court.” Mr. Currie extended his grateful appreciation to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which comprises a number of federal, state, and local agencies.
“Stabbing an FBI agent and providing material support to a designated terrorist organization are a recipe for indictment, as alleged. I commend the agents and detectives from the Manhattan-based Joint Terrorism Task Force and prosecutors in the Eastern District for their work on this case,” said Police Commissioner Bratton.
