A former University of Alabama student was sentenced to more than seven years behind bars Wednesday for hiding financing to al Qaeda.
Alaa Mohd Abusaad, 26, had pleaded guilty in 2019 to a charge of concealing terrorism financing after telling an undercover FBI employee how to send money to terrorist fighters.
Abusaad also told the undercover fed that “money” for the terrorists “is always needed.”
The former college student told the agent to use fake names and addresses when sending electronic transfers to avoid detection by police.
Abusaad was also ordered to spend 10 years on supervised release following the prison term, federal prosecutors said.
The woman’s lawyers argued she was left vulnerable to the dangers of the interest due to her childhood upbringing and mental health issues. Court documents described a young girl ostracized by being the only Muslim family in housing projects in Tuscaloosa, where she faced bullying from other children and a teacher.
Meanwhile, in another similar case, a New Jersey software developer, Alexei Saab, lived a double life as a “sleeper agent” for Islamic militant group Hezbollah, and scouted terror targets in New York City, federal prosecutors said earlier this month. Mr Saab, a US citizen since 2008, was arrested by the feds in 2019 and charged with several counts, including terrorism, for allegedly providing materials to the terrorist group. Now, he faces dozens of years in prison if convicted on all counts.
So the use of mental health issues is probably just an excuse for Alaa Mohd Abusaad to avoid punishment or to avoid a harsh sentencing.