Officials say there is no current threat to the University of Maryland campus after the FBI arrested a Hyattsville man early last week on charges of plotting to kill a man in the name of ISIS.
Nelash Mohamed Das, 24, was arrested Oct. 3 and charged with attempting to kill a U.S. military member and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, according to an Oct. 3 FBI news release. Das could face a maximum of 20 years in prison, according to the release.
A federal judge Tuesday ordered Das to remain in government custody throughout his court proceedings, The Washington Post reported.
“The danger posed by Mr. Das during this investigation was very real,” said Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the FBI’s Baltimore Division in the news release. “He was committed to carrying out an attack against a military member. … Through our proactive investigative stance, we were able to ensure the citizens of Maryland were protected.”
David Fitz, media coordinator for the FBI’s Baltimore Division, said the bureau eliminated the threat with the arrest and added “counter terrorism is our top priority.”
The University of Maryland Police Department chose not to send out a safety notice about the incident because there was no suggestion that Das “was threatening or making threats to the community,” said UMPD Maj. Marc Limansky.
“There’s no indication that the university is at any greater threat than any other university or place in the area,” Limansky added.
Das was a legal permanent resident of the United States, according to the affidavit submitted with the criminal complaint revealed. The affidavit also revealed from September 2015 to early 2016, Das used social networks to express his support for recent terror attacks and target an “individual” who “aspires to kill Muslims,” the FBI release read.
The affidavit states the individual had plans to become a member of the U.S. military and Das was attempting to “inspire violence against that individual” according to the news release.
In January, Das tweeted pictures of an AK-47 assault rifle and in April, he took a Handgun Qualification License class at a firing range in Prince George’s County, where he returned over the next five months to continue practicing, according to the news release.
In May, a “confidential human source” working for the FBI met with Das under the premise that they were “like-minded” supporters of ISIS, and in July Das told the source that he wanted to kill a military member who lived in Prince George’s County, according to the release.
Das told the source he was “100 percent” committed to the attack, saying “that’s like my goal in life,” the release read. He added he wanted to target U.S. military personnel.
After Das purchased ammunition from a Virginia firearms store in late September, the FBI source provided Das with fake information about a military member. The source also told Das that an ISIS contact in Iraq would pay them for the attack, according to the release.
On Sept. 30, the source picked up Das to conduct the attack. After Das loaded the firearms and the source drove to the address of the false target, FBI agents arrested Das according to the release.
“Our goal is to catch dangerous suspects before they strike, while respecting constitutional rights,” Rod J. Rosenstein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said in the news release. “That is what the American people expect of the Justice Department, and that is what we aim to deliver.”