Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem, 45, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, and lifetime supervised release following his conviction on numerous offenses. On March 17, 2016, Kareem was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State, a designated foreign terrorist organization; conspiring to transport firearms and ammunition in interstate commerce with the intent to commit murder and aggravated assault; transporting firearms and ammunition in interstate commerce with the intent to commit murder and aggravated assault; making false statements to the FBI; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
DOJ: The evidence at trial showed that beginning around June 2014, Kareem and two friends, Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, began conspiring to support ISIL. Their conspiracy focused on supporting ISIL by attacking targets in the U.S. Over the course of the conspiracy, Kareem, Simpson and Soofi considered attacking military bases, individual military service members, shopping malls, the Super Bowl and the “Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest.”
On May 3, 2015, the morning of the contest, Simpson and Soofi drove from Arizona to Texas, stopped their car near the contest, got out and began firing assault rifles at security personnel and law enforcement officers. A security guard was injured by one of their bullets, and Simpson and Soofi were shot and killed by police officers in the firefight.
Additionally, the evidence at trial showed that Kareem’s role in the conspiracy included assisting the other two men with firearms training, providing money to purchase some of the weapons and ammunition used in the attack, instruction on how to care for and maintain their weapons, taking Simpson and Soofi shooting in the desert, hosting Simpson and Soofi in his home and providing a meeting location to plan the attack. The evidence also showed that Kareem supported ISIL and knew that Simpson and Soofi supported ISIL. Kareem did not travel to Texas and was not injured during the attack. During an interview with FBI agents soon after the attack, Kareem lied about having prior knowledge of the attack and the contest.
