A jury has found Cholo Abdi Abdullah guilty on all six counts of the indictment, which includes conspiring to provide and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. The charges also involve conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and engage in acts of terrorism that cross national boundaries. Abdullah is scheduled for sentencing on March 10, 2025.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated, "The jury found that Cholo Abdi Abdullah, an operative of the terrorist organization al Shabaab, conspired to murder Americans in a terrorist attack reminiscent of the September 11 attack on our country." He added that the conviction ensures Abdullah will face decades in prison and emphasized the Justice Department's commitment to prosecuting those who use violence against Americans.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York remarked on the verdict: "Today, the jury returned a unanimous verdict holding Cholo Abdi Abdullah responsible for trying to replicate one of history’s most heinous acts of terrorism." He detailed Abdullah's training with al Shabaab in Somalia and his efforts at flight school aimed at hijacking a commercial plane for an attack within the United States.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Abdullah trained with al Shabaab using AK-47 assault rifles and explosives at various safe houses in Somalia. He then attended flight school in the Philippines while planning an attack involving hijacking a commercial aircraft to crash into a U.S. building. His preparations included researching targets like tall buildings in major American cities and how to breach airplane cockpit doors.
Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for numerous deadly attacks, including some targeting Americans. In response to relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, they initiated "Operation Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized," resulting in several attacks such as one on January 15, 2019, at a Nairobi hotel where approximately 21 people died.
Abdullah was convicted of multiple charges carrying severe penalties: providing material support (maximum penalty of 20 years), conspiring to murder U.S. nationals (life imprisonment), committing aircraft piracy (mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years up to life), destroying aircraft (maximum penalty of 20 years), and committing transnational terrorism (life imprisonment).
The FBI led this investigation with assistance from various international agencies including Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Philippine authorities.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jonathan L. Bodansky along with Trial Attorney John Cella are handling prosecution duties for this case.