New details, French connection emerge in Election Day terrorism case
After coming to the United States from Afghanistan, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi had worked as a Lyft driver in Dallas and as an automobile mechanic in Oklahoma.
The Afghan national, now accused of planning an Election Day terrorism attack on behalf of ISIS, had never even gotten a traffic ticket since his arrival in 2021.
Those new details emerged at a hearing Thursday in Oklahoma City federal court that confirmed the investigation has a French connection. Tawhedi appeared in court in shackles and gray jail clothing and listened to an interpreter through headphones.
An FBI special agent testified two of Tawhedi's brothers were arrested in France this month because they "potentially" were going to conduct a terrorist attack there.
Tawhedi, 27, had been under investigation for about 40 to 45 days before his arrest on Oct. 7 in Oklahoma, the agent, Derek Wiley, told a judge.
He and his brother-in-law were arrested after purchasing two AK-47 rifles and ammunition during a meeting at a rural location with an undercover FBI employee and two confidential sources, the FBI revealed Oct. 8 in a court affidavit.
Tawhedi admitted 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. He said he and his brother-in-law expected to die in the Nov. 5 attack and be martyrs
Tawhedi was living with his wife and 1-year-old daughter at an apartment in south Oklahoma City.
The brother-in-law has not been identified by the FBI because he is a juvenile. The boy was living at a house in Moore with his parents and siblings. An older sister is married to Tawhedi.
Agent Wiley testified at the hearing that he interviewed Tawhedi for five to six hours after his arrest through an interpreter. He said searches of the apartment and the house in Moore turned up no weapons.
Tawhedi is charged in Oklahoma City federal court with two felonies.
He is accused in the first count of providing and conspiring to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization. He is accused in the second count of receiving and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition to be used for terrorism. The maximum punishment for the two offenses is a total of 35 years in prison.
At the end of the hour-long hearing, U.S. Magistrate Suzanne Mitchell ruled the evidence was sufficient for the case to go forward. She also ordered Tawhedi detained, finding there was clear and convincing evidence he would be a danger to the community if released.
Tawhedi has been held at the Pottawatomie County jail in Shawnee since his arrest.
His court-appointed attorney had argued for home detention while awaiting trial.
