Herman Leyvoune Wilson, also known as Bilal Mu’Min Abdullah, made an initial appearance in federal court Friday on an indictment charging him with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempting to obstruct, influence and impede at least one official proceeding.
A federal grand jury indicted Wilson, 45, of Albuquerque, on Aug. 23.
According to the indictment and other court records, from Jan. 23, 2020, to Nov. 20, 2021, Wilson allegedly attempted to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization. Wilson allegedly attempted to establish an “Islamic State Center” in New Mexico that would teach ISIS ideology, provide training in tactical maneuvers and martial arts, and serve as a safe haven for individuals preparing to travel and fight on behalf of ISIS in the United States and abroad.
Additionally, between Sept. 19, 2020, and October 2020, Wilson allegedly attempted to obstruct, influence and impede at least one official proceeding by commanding and inducing the destruction and concealment of records by shutting down an online platform. From May 2019 to September 2020, Wilson allegedly helped to administer an online platform to promote ISIS ideology, recruit others to ISIS ideology and discuss terrorist attacks in the United States and overseas. Wilson also allegedly used the online platform to promote the Islamic State Center and find potential like-minded individuals to join the center.
In September 2020, Kristopher Matthews and Jaylin Molina were arrested for providing material support to ISIS, and later pleaded guilty in the Western District of Texas. Matthews and Molina admitted that Wilson radicalized them to ISIS’s ideology, and that without Wilson’s influence, they would never have committed the crimes. When Matthews and Molina were arrested, Wilson allegedly instructed online platform members to destroy evidence of their use of the group. Matthews and Molina were sentenced in July 2022 to 20 years and 18 years in prison, respectively.
