AP NewsBreak

NC terror suspect said dad sold guns

[August 26, 2009]  RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A North Carolina man named as the ringleader of an aspiring terrorism group sold most of the weapons he purchased and wanted to make sure his children were familiar with guns, one of the sons told federal agents in a report released Tuesday.

Dylan Boyd, in explaining why his family had so many weapons, told the FBI when he was arrested last month that Muslim practice says men should be strong and able to shoot guns in case they are attacked. He estimated that the family had about 10 weapons, including two that father Daniel Patrick Boyd had agreed to sell that day.

The younger Boyd said he didn't know who the buyers were.

The FBI has said it seized some two dozen weapons from the Boyd household and that a pit had been dug under their back deck to store the guns.

Dylan Boyd, who is in his early 20s, told agents that Muslims must be ready in case they are attacked, claiming that the U.S. Army is overseas raping and killing "their" Muslim sisters. He repeatedly called the FBI agents questioning him "kuffar" -- meaning nonbelievers -- and said the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were an "inside job," according to a summary of the interview.

Federal investigators have also said they found 26,000 rounds of ammunition inside the Boyd home. Dylan Boyd told agents that ammunition has been growing more expensive and that his father began to buy ammunition in bulk to get a lower price and save on shipping charges.

Dylan Boyd said they planned to go shooting that day. His attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday.

Federal investigators said Daniel Boyd, a drywall contractor, was the ringleader of a small North Carolina-based terrorist group that planned international travel to commit "violent jihad" and went on military-style training trips to rural North Carolina. Authorities claim the group, including an eighth suspect believed to be in Pakistan, were gearing up for a "violent jihad," though prosecutors haven't detailed any specific targets or time frame.

The seven men who have been arrested are being held in Virginia pending trial.

Prosecutors have also said that Daniel Boyd was trained in terrorist camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Dylan Boyd said the family's Muslim practice began to fall apart when they returned from Pakistan. He said the family didn't resume the Muslim practice until he was a teenager.

He indicated that the family lived under strict teachings. Dylan Boyd recalled that both he and brother Zak, also charged in the case, had "went bad" for a while -- drinking and dating girls.

[Associated Press; By MIKE BAKER]

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