NorCal College Student Indicted On Terrorism Support Charge; Allegedly Tried To Join al-Qaida
SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) — A federal grand jury in Sacramento has indicted a Central Valley college student on a single charge of attempting to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Nicholas Teausant had previously been held on a criminal complaint since his arrest last week near the Canadian border.
The one-paragraph indictment handed down Wednesday alleges that Teausant, an American citizen, attempted to join al-Qaida in Iraq. The indictment says the group changed its name last year to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Teausant, described by the criminal complaint as a student at San Joaquin Delta Community College in Stockton, agreed last week to be returned to Sacramento to face the charge.
The complaint also said Teusant is a member of the National Guard who is being discharged for failing to meet basic academic requirements.
Jay Stansill, the assistant federal public defender who represented Teausant at the Seattle court hearing, did not return a telephone message.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.