Accused ISIS Supporter To Remain Detained
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The man from Mesquite who is at the center of an FBI terror investigation appeared in a Dallas courtroom on Friday morning. Bilal Abood has been accused of lying to federal officials and will now remain in federal custody until his trial.
Abood sat quietly in court on Friday between his public defense team, as the judge deemed him a flight risk and said no conditions imposed on him would ensure the safety of the community.
The FBI on Thursday stated that Abood posted an oath on Twitter, swearing his allegiance to the self-appointed leader of ISIS. A criminal complaint said that agents searching Abood's computer also found that he was watching beheadings online, which were carried out by Islamic State fighters.
Earlier this month, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on the Curtis Cullwell Center in Garland.
The FBI said that they have been keeping tabs on Abood for two years. Back in March 2013, he was kept from boarding a flight at DFW International Airport. And then in April 2013, the FBI said that an informant told them that Abood was planning to go fight in Syria. He tried to go through Mexico, but returned to the U.S. because of a lack of action.
Abood was born in Iraq and is a naturalized U.S. citizen. The 37-year-old man has denied that he financially supported any terrorist organization. His attorney said that he was going to Syria to try and visit his family back in Iraq.
The development came as a shock to Abood's neighbors at an apartment complex in Mesquite. "It kind of shakes me up a little bit," said Glenda Bradfield, a neighbor at the East Meadows Village.
"They say it's not in Texas and it's not around, but Garland last weekend and now here in Mesquite," wondered Chelsea McCoy. "Very nerve-racking."
Prosecutors now have 30 days to make a case to the grand jury. If he is indicted and convicted, Abood faces a maximum of eight years in federal prison.
