Arizona Teen Pleads Guilty To Planning Terror Attack on Tucson JCC

Image by Tucson JCC

By Marcy Oster October 11, 2016

(JTA) — An Arizona man has pleaded guilty to plotting an attack on government buildings and the Tucson Jewish Community Center.

Mahin Khan, 18, pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism and conspiracy to commit misconduct involving weapons in Maricopa County Superior Court, according to reports.

Khan reportedly struck a plea bargain with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office under which he will serve a prison term of at least five years and no more than 10 years and three months, as opposed to the life sentence that he could have received. He will be sentenced on November 4.

Kahn was arrested in his parents’ home on July 1 and has been held in prison without bail for fear he would flee to Syria or Pakistan. He pleaded not guilty at the time.

His parents have said that Kahn is autistic and not capable of carrying out the terror attacks he had planned.

The FBI told the court that Khan had described himself in an email as an “American jihadist” who supports the Islamic State. In contact with undercover FBI agents, Kahn said he wanted to carry out “lone jihadist” attacks that would kill hundreds of people in Arizona.

In addition to targeting the Tucson JCC, a Motor Vehicles office in Mesa and an Air Force recruitment center in Tucson were in his sights. Khan revealed his desire to attack the JCC during a 2015 discussion with an undercover FBI employee.

Khan lived with his family in a gated community in north Tucson. He had threatened to kill his parents if they discovered his scheme and tried to turn him in.

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