A terrorism suspect already behind bars for allegedly helping al-Qaida has been charged with ordering a hit on the federal judge overseeing his case.
Yahya Farooq Mohammad of the United Arab Emirates was indicted Wednesday in the central state of Ohio for soliciting the killing of U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary.
"Conspiring to have a judge killed is not the way to avoid being prosecuted — now Mohammad will be held accountable for additional serious federal charges," said Stephen Anthony, special agent in charge of the FBI's office in Cleveland.
Mohammad allegedly told another inmate in April that he wanted to pay to have Zouhary kidnapped and killed. That inmate then introduced Mohammad to an undercover FBI employee. The indictment alleges that Mohammad told the inmate he was willing to pay $15,000 to have Zouhary killed.
Mohammad was indicted last year for conspiring with three other men to donate thousands of dollars to Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born al-Qaida preacher killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2011. He has pleaded not guilty.
