Teenage co-conspirator in foiled November 2024 terrorist attack pleads guilty to federal charges
- Dennis McCaslin
- Apr 17, 2025
- 2 min read
An 18-year-old Afghan native and U.S. lawful permanent resident, Abdullah Haji Zada, pleaded guilty today in federal court to charges of conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition intended for a terrorist attack on Election Day 2024.
The plot, aligned with the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, was thwarted by law enforcement in October 2024.
Court documents reveal that Zada, along with co-conspirator Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, also an Afghan citizen, received two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, fully aware that the weapons were to be used in a planned attack. Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing.
As part of his plea agreement, Zada stipulated to a judicial order of removal to Afghanistan upon completion of his prison term, which will terminate his lawful permanent resident status. He also waived his right to appeal the conviction or seek relief from deportation, including asylum.
Tawhedi, Zada’s co-conspirator, awaits trial on charges of conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years, and conspiring to receive firearms for terrorism, with a potential 15-year sentence. Tawhedi is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case was announced by Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division.
The investigation was led by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with support from multiple agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and local Oklahoma law enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry, Matt Dillon, Everett McMillian, and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy are prosecuting the case.
