Raleigh jihad group
Encyclopedia
The Raleigh jihad group refers to seven men arrested on 27 July 2009 near Raleigh
, North Carolina
on charges of participating in a conspiracy
to commit "violent jihad
". An eighth man in the indictment
, believed to be in Pakistan
, has not been arrested. Daniel Boyd was the suspected ringleader, who along with Hysen Sherifi were also indicted on conspiring to attack soldiers at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico.
” outside the United States
. The alleged leader of the group, Daniel Patrick Boyd
, was accused of recruiting seven men, including two of his sons, to take part in a conspiracy
“to advance violent jihad, including supporting and participating in terrorist activities abroad and committing acts of murder
, kidnapping
or maiming persons abroad.” According to the indictment, members of the group practiced military tactics and the use of weapons in rural North Carolina, and traveled to Gaza
, Israel
, Jordan
and Kosovo
hoping “to engage in violent jihad.”
to provide resources to terrorists and conspiring to murder, kidnap and injure persons abroad.
At their detention hearings, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Webb
ruled that all were to be held without bond
until trial.
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
on charges of participating in a conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to commit "violent jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
". An eighth man in the indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
, believed to be in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, has not been arrested. Daniel Boyd was the suspected ringleader, who along with Hysen Sherifi were also indicted on conspiring to attack soldiers at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico.
History
The arrests were made on 27 July 2009. The men were accused of plotting to wage “violent jihadJihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
” outside the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The alleged leader of the group, Daniel Patrick Boyd
Daniel Patrick Boyd
Daniel Patrick Boyd is an American who in July 2009 was accused of leading a jihadist terrorist cell in North Carolina.-Biography:...
, was accused of recruiting seven men, including two of his sons, to take part in a conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
“to advance violent jihad, including supporting and participating in terrorist activities abroad and committing acts of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
or maiming persons abroad.” According to the indictment, members of the group practiced military tactics and the use of weapons in rural North Carolina, and traveled to Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
hoping “to engage in violent jihad.”
Defendants
All defendants face one count each of conspiringConspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to provide resources to terrorists and conspiring to murder, kidnap and injure persons abroad.
- Daniel Patrick BoydDaniel Patrick BoydDaniel Patrick Boyd is an American who in July 2009 was accused of leading a jihadist terrorist cell in North Carolina.-Biography:...
, 39, a U.S.-born citizen. Alleged leader of the group, accused of recruiting the seven men. Lives in Willow SpringWillow Spring, North CarolinaWillow Spring is an unincorporated community in southeastern Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of 2007, the population was 11,576. The Frank and Mary Smith House and Turner and Amelia Smith House, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are located in Willow Spring...
with his wife, three sons, daughter, and daughter-in-law. Also accused of selling a gun to a felonGun law in the United StatesGun law in the United States is defined by a number of state and federal statutes. In the United States of America, the protection against infringement of the right to keep and bear arms is addressed in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution...
. - Dylan "Mohammad" Boyd, 22, Daniel Boyd's eldest son. Lives in Willow SpringWillow Spring, North CarolinaWillow Spring is an unincorporated community in southeastern Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of 2007, the population was 11,576. The Frank and Mary Smith House and Turner and Amelia Smith House, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are located in Willow Spring...
with his wife and parents. Also accused of selling a gun to a felonGun law in the United StatesGun law in the United States is defined by a number of state and federal statutes. In the United States of America, the protection against infringement of the right to keep and bear arms is addressed in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution...
. - Zakariya Boyd, 20, Daniel Boyd's second eldest son. Lives with parents in Willow SpringWillow Spring, North CarolinaWillow Spring is an unincorporated community in southeastern Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of 2007, the population was 11,576. The Frank and Mary Smith House and Turner and Amelia Smith House, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are located in Willow Spring...
. Traveled with his father to IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 2007, but was denied entry. - Anes Subasic, 33, a Bosnian refugeeRefugeeA refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
and a naturalized American citizen. Resides in Holly Springs, North CarolinaHolly Springs, North CarolinaHolly Springs is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of 2009, the town population was estimated at 21,749, and it had gained the title of"The fastest growing town in North Carolina".-Geography:...
with his father. Attended a sniperSniperA sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
training camp in Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... - Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, 22, a U.S.-born citizen. Traveled with Ziyad Yaghi to Israel in April 2007, but was denied entry at Ben Gurion International AirportBen Gurion International AirportBen Gurion International Airport , also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag , is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel, handling 12,160,339 passengers in 2010...
. - Ziyad "Jimmy" Yaghi, 21 , a naturalized American citizen. Traveled to JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
in 2006. Traveled with Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan to IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in April 2007, but was denied entry at Ben Gurion International AirportBen Gurion International AirportBen Gurion International Airport , also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag , is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel, handling 12,160,339 passengers in 2010...
. - Hysen Sherifi, 24, the only non U.S. citizen, a native of KosovoKosovoKosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, and a U.S. legal permanent resident. An ethnic Albanian born in Gjilan, Kosovo. Flew to Kosovo on 30 July 2008 where he stayed seven months. - Jude Kenan Mohammad, 20, a U.S. citizen believed to be in PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, has not been arrested. Traveled to Pakistan in October 2008, were he was arrested by Pakistani officials and accused of trying to travel illegally in a tribal areaFederally Administered Tribal AreasThe Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...
along the Pakistan-Afghan borderDurand LineThe Durand Line refers to the porous international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which has divided the ethnic Pashtuns . This poorly marked line is approximately long...
.
At their detention hearings, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Webb
William Webb
Sir William Flood Webb KBE was a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia. He was President of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East after the end of World War II....
ruled that all were to be held without bond
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
until trial.