ABOVE: Muhammed Momtaz Al-Azhari, photo via Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
TAMPA | The FBI has charged Muhammed Momtaz Al-Azhari with providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Federal prosecutors shared their criminal complaint May 27. It charges that Al-Azhari, a U.S. citizen who has lived in Tampa since 2019, attempted to buy weapons and scouted the area for potential targets for an attack.
According to the Associated Press, an FBI affidavit also advises that Al-Azhari expressed admiration for the Pulse shooter in a recording. It notes that he also drove to the site “to scope out the location” and that he told a confidential informant “that’s how I want to die, to be honest.”
The FBI asserts that Al-Azhari attempted to purchase a number of guns and silencers from an undercover employee, including an AK-47-style rifle. Their affidavit notes he was recorded advising the informant he wanted to “take at least 50” lives in an attack on behalf of the terror organization, citing that the shooter “in Orlando did. He took 49 with him.”
The organization asserts that Al-Azhari scouted Tampa Bay beaches, parks and the FBI field office in Tampa. He was arrested May 24 after taking possession of the weapons.
“We are grateful for the hard work and swift action by our law enforcement partners and concerned citizens during this investigation,” U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez said. “Their coordination and cooperation in this matter allowed us to interrupt a serious threat, without harm to anyone.”
“From Mr. Al-Azhari’s attempt to acquire firearms through unlawful channels to his desire to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, it was clear Mr. Al-Azhari’s intention was to carry out an act of violence,” Assistant Director Jill Sanborn of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division added. “The FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the country will continue to use all of their legal authorities to prevent a potential act of terrorism in the United States, and elsewhere.”
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division Michael F. McPherson also commended those who made the arrest.
“The primary mission of the FBI is to protect the American public from a terrorist attack,” he shared May 27. “Today’s announcement of the arrest of Muhammed Momtaz Al-Azahari is proof we are committed to that pledge. I commend the 18 federal, state, and local member agencies who comprise FBI Tampa’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) for working day and night to prevent the loss of life in the Tampa Bay community.
“We were also fortunate to gain the cooperation of multiple citizens who willingly and bravely provided their assistance during this investigation,” he continued. “This strong bond between law enforcement and the public allowed us to disrupt this threat.”
You can read FBI Tampa’s full release below:
Tampa man charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS. https://t.co/ZbKOqkcglp pic.twitter.com/IeyhbdXtok
— FBI Tampa (@FBITampa) May 27, 2020
In a statement emailed to the AP, Al-Azhari’s public defender Samuel Landes challenged the severity of the charges. “The allegations misunderstand both the law and the evidence,” it reads. “I’m thankful that in this country everyone enjoys a presumption of innocence and I look forward to Mr. Al-Azhari’s day in court before a jury of his peers.”
As of May 27, Al-Azhari was being held in a Pinellas County jail. If convicted, the charge of providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
