Philadelphia Man Arrested On Terrorism Charges For Supporting Islamic Jihad
By Diana Rocco
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – According to the Department of Justice, a 45-year-old Philadelphia man was arrested Thursday morning and charged with conspiracy to fund a terrorist organization.
Bakhtiyor Jumaev, from Port Richmond, is accused of sending funds to 35-year-old Colorado resident Jamshid Muhtorov, who was charged in January with providing material support to the Islamic Jihad Union.
This case was investigated by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in cities across the country, including the FBI's JTTFs in Philadelphia and Denver.
According to the DOJ, the IJU is an extremist organization that is responsible for a number of attacks and bombings, including attacks against Coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The criminal complaint says Jumaev sent money to Muhtorov specifically intended for the IJU.
Jumaev appeared in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia Thursday morning, but the case is expected to be prosecuted in Denver.
If convicted, Jumaev faces up to 15 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
Muhtorov, an Uzbek refugee, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and denied he was a terrorist when the FBI interviewed him.
