A Minnesota man who reportedly tweeted threats against Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and a judge after his friend was arrested due to terrorism-linked charges has pleaded not guilty on Thursday.
According to ABC News, the man in question identified as Khaalid Adam Abdulkadir, 19, was indicted earlier this week on one count of threatening to murder a federal judge, one count of threatening to murder a federal law enforcement officer, and one count of interstate transmission of a threat to injure another person. He is still being held pending further proceedings after his December arrest.
As per Abdulkadir's tweets, he said that he will "kill them FBI" and "I'm kill them FEDS for take my brothers." His friend was arrested last December 9 for allegedly conspiring to provide material support to the terrorist group, Islamic State (IS), CBS shared.
Abdulkadir's attorney, Chris Madel, argued that the charges should be dismissed noting that his client's indictment did not specify whom he threatened. Madel also noted that his client has a family in Minnesota and he should be released to them for home monitoring. Madel added, "He's a 19-year-old kid who, at best, screwed up one night then deleted the tweets."
However, assistant U.S. Attorney John Docherty said that the tweets being deleted by Abdulkadir does not diminish the threats and that other evidence showed the man's interest in going to Syria to join the IS. He also used his social media accounts to ask advice from others who were able to join terror groups.
In fact, the 19-year-old has been on the radar of the authorities as documents claim that he was in contact with a Minnesota man via Twitter back in 2008. Fox News reported that the other Minnesota man, identified as Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan, left back in 2008 to join the extremist group Al-Shabaab in Somalia. Hassan is known for tweeting jihadist comments and the two exchanged messages before.
Judge Karen Schreier said on Thursday that Abdulkadir is a danger and a flight risk and will remain in custody.
