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 A U.S. District Court jury in Riverside, California, found Sohiel
Omar Kabir, 36, guilty of conspiring to provide material support and
resources to al Qaeda and conspiring to kill officers and employees
of the U.S. government.
The same jury convicted 25-year-old Ralph Deleon of the same
charges, as well as with conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping or
maiming overseas.
Jurors acquitted Kabir of conspiring to commit murder, kidnapping,
or maiming overseas and was unable to reach unanimous verdicts on
two other charges against Deleon. Both men face maximum sentences of
life in prison without the possibility of parole when they are
sentenced in February.
 "This case shows that the appeal of extremist ideologies can reach
from Afghanistan to America, demonstrating the clear need for
continued vigilance in rooting out homegrown violent extremists who
plot terrorist acts both here and abroad,” U.S. Attorney Stephanie
Yonekura said in a statement released after the verdicts were
returned.
Prosecutors say trial evidence showed that Kabir introduced Deleon
and another defendant, Miguel Alejandro Santana Vidriales, to
radical Islamist theology in 2010 and, after traveling to
Afghanistan in 2012, encouraged them to follow him there to join al
Qaeda.
Later that year, Deleon and Santana recruited a fourth defendant,
Arifeen David Gojali, to join them overseas to commit violent jihad,
according to prosecutors.
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Santana, Deleon and Gojali trained at firearms and paint ball
facilities in Southern California to prepare, prosecutors say.
Deleon, Santana and Gojali were arrested by the FBI in November 2012
while planning to drive to Mexico, from where they would fly to
Afghanistan. Kabir was taken into custody by U.S. military personnel
in Afghanistan.
Santana and Gojali previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting
sentencing.
Kabir, who was born in Afghanistan, is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Deleon is a lawful permanent resident and citizen of the
Philippines.
(Editing by Paul Tait)
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