FBI: Mall kiosk owner financed Islamic State plot
WILMINGTON, Del. — A man who last year operated a local mall kiosk that repaired cellphones was the alleged financier of what federal prosecutors say was a terrorist plot to fly two other suspects to Syria to join the Islamic State fighters, The News Journal has learned.
Abror Habibov, 30, was arrested by the FBI on Interstate 10 in Jacksonville, Fla, and arraigned Wednesday. He was held without bail.
Habibov previously operated the I Cell Fix kiosk at the Dover Mall and also briefly lived in Dover.
Habibov is a citizen of the former Soviet state of Uzbekistan. He and the other two suspects charged — Abdurasul Hasanovich Juraboev, 24, and Akhror Saidakhmetov, 19 — also lived in Brooklyn, the indictment filed in U.S. District Court in New York said. Juraboev and Saidakhmetov, who were arraigned in New York City, also are being held without bail.
"We are aware that Habibov was known to operate or work at a kiosk at the Dover Mall," Dover Police Cpl. Mark A. Hoffman said.
Hoffman also said Dover police are aware that Habibov lived in the Dover area. Court records show that Habibov was sued in August for not paying rent for his unit on Fairway Lakes Drive at Dover Country Club apartments.
A man who lives next door to the Dover apartment rented under Habibov's name said he did not know the occupant, but said the man he saw there regularly was "pretty weird."
"I never talked with him, but I heard him, and he did have an accent. He had a beard sometimes and drove an old, beat-up, brown Buick, with a messed-up license plate," former neighbor Reginald Martin said.
"I saw him coming and going in that all the time. He would sometimes leave his doors open at night, and be walking around without a shirt. It was pretty strange."
Habibov lived and worked at a number of addresses, including operating kiosks that sell kitchenware and repair mobile phones in malls in New York, Virginia, Delaware and Florida. He appears to have arrived in the U.S. in the early 2000s, and was able to obtain a permanent Social Security number in June or July of 2006.
Immigration experts said the fact that Habibov was given a permanent Social indicates he was not in this country on temporary visa, but instead may have been either married or engaged to be married.
Because that is not available to immigrants with mere visitor visas, Habibov's marriage appears to have played a role in helping the mall kiosk operator gain financial foothold in this country.
Habibov was married to a 29-year-old Virginia woman. The two shared an address in Newport News, Va., from 2008 to 2013, though it's not clear if they ever lived together. They do not appear to have any children together.
On Thursday, one of his acquaintances in New York Farhod Sultan, President, Vatandosh Uzbek-American Federation spoke about Habibov's involvement in ISIL and his influences.
"In one word, he was lost. He was so eager to learn Islam, since my background was Islamic law he asked me a lot of questions about Islam, Islamic teachings. And a couple of times I remember warning him about his thoughts. And his understanding of Islam, his understanding of Islamic principles."
Dover Mall management officials would not comment on their former tenant having alleged ties to the terrorist group known as ISIS. One mall worker who requested anonymity said Habibov ran two kiosks, one named I Cell Fix and another that sold sports-oriented spatulas.
The merchant who assumed the spot in Dover Mall where Habibov's kiosk once operated said the previous workers of I Cell Fix were running a nearby kiosk during the past holiday season selling kitchenware. The merchant, who declined to give his name, said he believed one of the men was from Uzbekistan.
At the I Cell Fix kiosk in Chesapeake on Thursday, an employee told a reporter that he had just learned of Habibov's arrests.
"It's crazy," said the man, who identified himself as Amin, but declined to give his last name.
The FBI contacted Dover officers about Habibov last year when the investigation began, but revealed few details, Hoffman said.
"They informed the higher staff officers of the department, basically, with a general overview of what the investigation was about, but not any specifics for obvious reasons, because of the sensitivity and the nature of the complaint," Hoffman said.
Dover's police leadership was "aware that the surveillance operation was going on in our area" Hoffman said. "At the same time, they also knew that the FBI would communicate any safety issues to our officers and the public should they have arisen."
FBI officials in New York and Baltimore, which oversees Delaware, would not comment on the investigation or arrests. Lewis D. Schiliro, head of homeland security for Delaware, also would not comment on the alleged terrorist who operated in Delaware's capital city, but said he was aware of the investigation.
"We are part of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and we work with the FBI on any matters that would affect Delaware generally,'' Schiliro said.
FBI Director James Comey said Wednesday his agency is working "homegrown violent extremist investigations in every single state." Comey said he tells "state and local partners, this is about all of us being connected tightly to each other. This isn't a New York phenomenon or a Washington phenomenon. This is all 50 states and in ways that are very hard to see."
FBI: Habibov was financier
The same month Habibov was being sued in Delaware for failing to pay rent on an apartment, court documents said he and the two other suspects were hatching an international terrorism plot to join the Islamic State, known as ISIS or ISIL, and fight against the United States.
ISIS wants to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and Syria that would be ruled by strict Shariah law. The militant group is made up of fundamentalist Sunni Muslims and foreign jihadists, increasingly coming from Western countries. The group, which has no boundaries, is responsible for mass executions, beheadings and setting a Jordanian pilot on fire.
"ISIL in particular is putting out a siren song through their slick propaganda," Comey said, "through social media that goes like this: 'Troubled soul, come to the caliphate. You will live a life of glory. These are the apocalyptic end times. You will find a life of meaning here fighting for our so-called caliphate, and if you can't come, kill somebody where you are.' ''
Comey's remarks Wednesday are relevant in this case.
The 23-page complaint by FBI Special Agent Ryan Singer portrays Habibov as the man who provided money and rides to his fellow conspirators, who allegedly wanted to hijack a plane and turn it over to ISIS, wage war against the United States and kill President Barack Obama. The complaint said Saidakhmetov had worked for Habibov at kiosks in Philadelphia, Virginia and Savannah, Ga.
Agents first became suspicious in August when Juraboev, also a Uzbekistan citizen, posted on the Uzbek-language website Hilofatncws.com about shooting Obama, the indictment said.
"We too wanted to pledge our allegiance and commit ourselves while not present there [Syria]. I am in USA now but we don't have any arms,'' Juraboev wrote. "But is it possible to commit ourselves as dedicated martyrs anyway while here? What I'm saying is, to shoot Obama and then get shot ourselves, will it do? That will strike fear in the hearts of infidels."
Federal agents confronted Juraboev on Aug. 15, and he acknowledged writing and posting the comment, court documents said. He even said he would like to travel to Syria to engage in violence on behalf of ISIL "if Allah wills,'' but couldn't afford "to travel there," the indictment said.
When agents again visited Juraboev a few days later, he elaborated, saying he doesn't like Obama because of his role in killing Muslims and would kill the president not "because of ill will towards him, but rather because of 'Allah.' " The suspect also said he would plant a bomb on Coney Island if ordered by ISIL, Singer wrote.
It was during this interview he identified Saidakhmetov as a friend who shared his views on ISIL and wished "to wage jihad by fighting in Syria or by engaging in violence in the United States."
As the investigation continued, agents learned Juraboev and Saidakhmetov planned to travel to Turkey and then to Syria to join ISIL — with the financial help of Habibov.
Juraboev purchased a round-trip ticket Dec. 27 for travel from John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, to Istanbul, departing on March 29, and told a confidential informant he paid $598 for the round-trip ticket, the indictment said.
Habibov: 'I'll deposit cash'
On Jan. 29, Saidakhmetov asked Habibov, in a call recorded by authorities, for "more money'' beyond $1,300 Habibov had already given him, the indictment said. Saidakhmetov said he needed the cash to buy his ticket and repay a loan to his mother.
Responded Habibov: "Don't worry about the (transportation) fare and the expenses needed for going there. Dear Akhror, as you might recall, I promised you that we'll do it. If you say you need to buy your ticket, then I'll deposit cash ... cash into your account."
They agreed to go to a travel agency together, and Habibov would wait outside.
Habibov later said he was worried that Saidakhmetov's mother, who had previously taken her 19-year-old son's passport to prevent him from traveling abroad, would become alarmed after he flew to the Middle East — and might alert authorities who would track down the trio and prevent the men from "going to wage jihad."
Habibov offered to help his employee get new travel documents and agreed to keep in touch via Skype. He also pledged to send money if necessary.
On Feb. 16, Habibov asked Saidakhmetov if he had obtained travel documents, and said he was calling over the Internet, warning him "not to leave a trace." He also suggested they meet at a mosque to discuss details in private.
"Habibov stated that he had made a promise and intended to act on it,'' the indictment said.
A Brooklyn man accused of financing terrorism was arrested in Jacksonville early Wednesday, according to the FBI.
'Bus ticket' to Middle East
On Feb. 18, Saidakhmetov told the informant he would buy a ticket to fly to Istanbul. "Abror'' had promised to provide money to buy him a weapon and pay for other expenses, though no sum of money was mentioned. During the flight to Istanbul, Saidakhmetov said he planned to find a way into the pilot's cabin and he could hijack the aircraft so ISIS would "gain a plane."
On Feb. 19, Saidakhmetov and Habibov drove to a travel agency on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, where Habibov waited outside while Saidakhmetov paid $571 for a round-trip ticket to Istanbul. Agents saw the pair leave together, the indictment said.
Saidakhmetov later told the informant that Habibov had promised to contact an associate in Turkey who travels to Syria to assist him. Saidakhmetov thought he was going to fly to the Middle East with the informant, the indictment said.
About that same date, Habibov called someone the indictment identified as "Individual 1" and said "a little brother is going 'there' " and had no one to meet him. He asked the contact if he knew of "bigger brothers'' who could help Saidakhmetov and the informant, whom he referred to as the "smarter'' brother.
Habibov also called another person identified as "Individual 2" and said he had paid $570 for a "bus ticket,'' a code name for Saidakhmetov's plane ticket. But the friend would need money upon arrival. He reminded "Individual 2" that giving money was a "divine reward'' and that they should give Saidakhmetov more than the "$30 or $50" they might give a stranger because Saidakhmetov was a "real brother."
On Wednesday, the day Saidakhmetov planned to fly from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, the FBI took the trio into custody.
Contributing: News Journal reporters Maureen Milford and Nicole Gaudiano; Eastern Shore News reporter William Edward Shockley III; and WTLV-TV, Jacksonville, Fla.