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| Brooklyn Man Arrested, Accused of Supporting Islamic State | Brooklyn Man Arrested, Accused of Supporting Islamic State |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| A Brooklyn man who tried to join the Islamic State and later told an informer that the group wanted to stage an attack in Times Square similar to the one that killed 86 people in Nice, France, last summer was arrested in New York on Monday, the authorities said. | A Brooklyn man who tried to join the Islamic State and later told an informer that the group wanted to stage an attack in Times Square similar to the one that killed 86 people in Nice, France, last summer was arrested in New York on Monday, the authorities said. |
| The man, Mohamed Rafik Naji, 37, who is facing charges of trying to provide material support to terrorists, began expressing support for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, on social media in December 2014 and traveled overseas to try to join the group three months later, according to a criminal complaint. He first went to Turkey, then to Yemen, according to the complaint. | The man, Mohamed Rafik Naji, 37, who is facing charges of trying to provide material support to terrorists, began expressing support for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, on social media in December 2014 and traveled overseas to try to join the group three months later, according to a criminal complaint. He first went to Turkey, then to Yemen, according to the complaint. |
| He appeared in federal court in Brooklyn on Monday night and remained in custody, said Nellin N. McIntosh, a spokeswoman for the United States attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York. She said no bail was set. | |
| “As alleged, the defendant was persistent in his efforts to join ISIL and support its terrorist objectives,” Robert L. Capers, the United States attorney, said in a statement. Prosecutors presented no evidence that an attack in Times Square was actually planned. | “As alleged, the defendant was persistent in his efforts to join ISIL and support its terrorist objectives,” Robert L. Capers, the United States attorney, said in a statement. Prosecutors presented no evidence that an attack in Times Square was actually planned. |
| Mr. Naji’s lawyer, Susan G. Kellman, said in an email that she was “not sure what can be said” about the case. | Mr. Naji’s lawyer, Susan G. Kellman, said in an email that she was “not sure what can be said” about the case. |
| “My client has not been formally charged,” she said. “Not much else to say at this stage of the proceedings.” | “My client has not been formally charged,” she said. “Not much else to say at this stage of the proceedings.” |
| Prosecutors based their allegations against Mr. Naji in part on a series of recorded conversations he had both in Yemen and in the United States with an F.B.I. informer. | Prosecutors based their allegations against Mr. Naji in part on a series of recorded conversations he had both in Yemen and in the United States with an F.B.I. informer. |
| He told the informer the best ways to join the Islamic State, according to the complaint, and described the group’s desire to attack Times Square with a garbage truck, similar to the attack in Nice in July. | He told the informer the best ways to join the Islamic State, according to the complaint, and described the group’s desire to attack Times Square with a garbage truck, similar to the attack in Nice in July. |
| “I was saying if there is a truck, I mean a garbage truck, and one drives it there to Times Square and crushes them,” he told the informer. | “I was saying if there is a truck, I mean a garbage truck, and one drives it there to Times Square and crushes them,” he told the informer. |
| “They want an operation in Times Square, reconnaissance group already put out a scene, the Islamic State already put up scenes of Times Square, you understand,” he added. “I said that was an indication for whoever is smart to know.” | “They want an operation in Times Square, reconnaissance group already put out a scene, the Islamic State already put up scenes of Times Square, you understand,” he added. “I said that was an indication for whoever is smart to know.” |
| In another conversation that took place over Facebook while Mr. Naji was in Yemen, prosecutors said, he told the informer, “I belong to Islamic State only.” | In another conversation that took place over Facebook while Mr. Naji was in Yemen, prosecutors said, he told the informer, “I belong to Islamic State only.” |
| Mr. Naji is a legal permanent resident of the United States who was born in Yemen. While there in 2015, he made several attempts to travel to ISIS-controlled territory, according to the complaint. | Mr. Naji is a legal permanent resident of the United States who was born in Yemen. While there in 2015, he made several attempts to travel to ISIS-controlled territory, according to the complaint. |
| Mr. Naji described his experience in Yemen in frequent emails to his wife, who was not named in the complaint. Several of those emails appeared to demonstrate his support for the Islamic State, and some suggested he might have succeeded in joining its ranks, according to the complaint. | Mr. Naji described his experience in Yemen in frequent emails to his wife, who was not named in the complaint. Several of those emails appeared to demonstrate his support for the Islamic State, and some suggested he might have succeeded in joining its ranks, according to the complaint. |
| One email contained a video of Abu Usamah al-Maghribi, an Islamic State member, reciting portions of the Quran, and another contained quotations from Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born propagandist for Al Qaeda who was killed in Yemen in 2011. | One email contained a video of Abu Usamah al-Maghribi, an Islamic State member, reciting portions of the Quran, and another contained quotations from Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born propagandist for Al Qaeda who was killed in Yemen in 2011. |
| On April 15, 2015, Mr. Naji sent his wife an email that contained a picture of himself wearing a tactical vest equipped with a large knife, the lower half of his face covered by a bandanna. He posted similar photos to a Facebook page he registered under a pseudonym, prosecutors said. | On April 15, 2015, Mr. Naji sent his wife an email that contained a picture of himself wearing a tactical vest equipped with a large knife, the lower half of his face covered by a bandanna. He posted similar photos to a Facebook page he registered under a pseudonym, prosecutors said. |
| Six days later he sent his wife an email with the subject line “first day on the job.” It contained a video on which gunfire could be heard while men’s voices said, “I think we’re taking fire,” “Where it’s coming from, I don’t know” and “Stay down.” | Six days later he sent his wife an email with the subject line “first day on the job.” It contained a video on which gunfire could be heard while men’s voices said, “I think we’re taking fire,” “Where it’s coming from, I don’t know” and “Stay down.” |
| He also asked his wife to wire money to him. Over the course of several months she sent around $5,500 to a man in Yemen, whom the authorities did not name. That money eventually reached Mr. Naji. | He also asked his wife to wire money to him. Over the course of several months she sent around $5,500 to a man in Yemen, whom the authorities did not name. That money eventually reached Mr. Naji. |
| Mr. Naji returned to New York in September 2015. Prosecutors said his support for the Islamic State continued after he returned. | Mr. Naji returned to New York in September 2015. Prosecutors said his support for the Islamic State continued after he returned. |