Federal authorities arrested a 30-year-old Uzbekistan national living in Boise, Idaho as part of a terrorism investigation, according to a news release from the City of Boise.
A grand jury has indicted Fazliddin Kurbanov for one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and one count of possessing an unregistered destructive device.
He was living in the U.S. legally at the time of his arrest.
A grand jury in Salt Lake City also indicted Kurbanov for one count of distribution of information relating to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction.
Authorities say that between August 2012 and May 2013, Kurbanov conspired to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization called the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. The resources included computer software and money.
Kurbanov knew the terrorists would use his support to carry out an attack with a weapon of mass destruction. In November, he possessed a hollow hand grenade, hobby fuse, aluminum powder, potassium nitrate and sulfur that could be used to make a "destructive device."
The Utah indictment says that in January, Kurbanov demonstrated how to make explosive devices and use a weapon of mass destruction. He allegedly showed videos from the Internet, conducted "instructional shopping trips" and provided written recipes for improvised explosive devices.
The FBI has been monitoring Kurbanov’s activities. He will appear in a Boise federal court Friday and will then be transferred to Utah.
Kurbanov faces up to 20 years in prison if he's convicted on the Utah charge and up to 15 years in prison for each Idaho conspiracy charge. The charge of possession of an unregistered destructive device carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.
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