2 ex-NY students indicted on Islamic State terror charges

U.S. authorities say two former New York City college students have been indicted on terror charges accusing them of plotting to help the Islamic State.

In a six-count indictment unsealed Tuesday, prosecutors have accused Fareed Mumuni, 21, of Mariners Harbor, and Munther Omar Saleh, 20, of Queens, of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and conspiring to assault federal officers.

“As alleged in the indictment, both Munther Omar Saleh and Fareed Mumuni demonstrated their support for ISIL by attacking the law enforcement officers”, Acting US Attorney Kelly Currie of the Eastern District of New York said.

On June 13, Saleh and another man were arrested in Queens after they approached a police officer while armed with knives.

Before the arrest, Saleh had been seen behaving suspiciously at the George Washington Bridge, had indicated support for ISIL in online postings, had researched bomb-making and referred to being involved in an “op” in email correspondence, the government said at the time.

Mumuni was arrested on June 17 during an execution of a search warrant of his home, when he repeatedly stabbed an FBI agent in the torso with a kitchen knife, the indictment states. Officials said the attack was premeditated.

The weapon failed to penetrate the agent’s body armor, and he suffered only minor injuries, according to a criminal complaint. “During a search of the vehicle used by Mumuni, investigators recovered a second large knife”. Mumuni was also charged with attempted murder of federal officers.

Saleh and Mumuni are scheduled to be arraigned on August 20, 2015.

Mumuni faces up to 85 years in prison while Saleh faces a maximum sentence of 65 years.