GREENBELT, Maryland (AP) — A former U.S. soldier who converted to Islam shortly before leaving the Army has been charged with attempting to join a terrorist group in Somalia.
Craig Baxam was arrested Friday and charged with attempting to provide material support to al-Shabaab by joining its ranks.
He made his first federal court appearance on Monday. When asked by a judge if he understood the charges against him, he said yes. Baxam faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. A hearing in the case was set for Wednesday.
Baxam joined the Army in 2007 and trained for intelligence and cryptography. Prosecutors claim he previously had no religious affiliation but began reading about Islam online just two weeks before leaving the Army in July last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment