Afghan national in Oklahoma City charged in ISIS-related Election Day terrorist plot

OKLAHOMA CITY — An Afghan national living in Oklahoma City was charged Tuesday with conspiring to conduct a terrorist attack on Election Day in the United States on behalf of ISIS, the Department of Justice announced.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, conspired and attempted to "provide material support to ISIS and obtained firearms and ammunition to conduct a violent attack on U.S. soil in the name of ISIS," the Justice Department said in a release Tuesday. If convicted of all charges, Tawhedi, faces up to 35 years in prison.

He and his brother-in-law were arrested Monday after they purchased two AK-47 rifles and ammunition from an undercover FBI employee in a rural location in Oklahoma, the FBI reported in a court affidavit. Tawhedi admitted after his arrest that he and his brother-in-law bought the guns to commit an attack on Election Day "targeting large gatherings of people," according to the affidavit, and said that they expected to die in the attack and be martyrs.

On July 25, he used his Google account to access webcams for the White House and Washington Monument, according to the affidavit.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department foiled the plot.

“We will continue to combat the ongoing threat that ISIS and its supporters pose to America’s national security, and we will identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals who seek to terrorize the American people," he said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray also said the plot was uncovered and stopped before anyone was harmed.

"This defendant, motivated by ISIS, allegedly conspired to commit a violent attack, on Election Day, here on our homeland," Wray said in a statement. "Terrorism is still the FBI's number one priority, and we will use every resource to protect the American people."

Tawhedi arrived in the U.S. on September 9, 2021, and was here on a special immigrant visa, according to the affidavit. The timing coincides with a period in which thousands of Afghans fleeing their country amid the Taliban takeover were being relocated to cities across the U.S.

About 1,000 Afghans were relocated to Oklahoma City.

U.S. Sen. James Lankford described him in a news release as an Afghan refugee. Tawhedi lived in an apartment along with his wife and 1-year-old child, the FBI said.

His court-appointed attorney could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday night.

The brother-in-law was identified in the affidavit as a citizen of Afghanistan who lives with his parents at a single-family home in Moore, Oklahoma. He was not named because the FBI reported him as a juvenile.

The co-conspirator entered the U.S. on March 27, 2018, on a special immigrant visa, according to the affidavit.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Election Day terrorist attack plot: Afghan national charged