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Mufid A. Elfgeeh: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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Mufid A. Elfgeeh Mug Shot

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Mufid A. Elfgeeh, 30, a Yemeni American citizen who lives in Rochester, New York, has been accused of recruiting for ISIS in Syria and Yemen.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. He Was Caught by FBI Informants

Mufid A. Elfgeeh, a Yemeni American citizen, is a local store owner who was indicted for attempting to recruit three people into ISIS, who turned out to be FBI informants. Elfgeeh will face charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, attempting to kill officers and employees of the United States, having an unregistered firearm silencer and possessing guns or silencers.

Elfgeeh went by three different names, according to a former employee: Mojo, Ali and Mufid. The employee described him as crazy and full of pent-up rage, saying: “So, a couple of days, across the street right there, there was a fight in the middle so he came with a shotgun outside and started to shoot to the air like crazy.”

He was arrested on May 31 in an FBI parking lot sting, however, federal officials didn’t outline the case against him until Tuesday, September 16. Elfgeeh will appear in court Thursday morning, September 18, and his public defender is expected to enter a plea of not guilty.

Elfgeeh also allegedly used his Facebook to help with recruitment efforts. His Facebook is filled with video links.

2. Elfgeeh Was Put on the FBI’s Radar Through His Own Tweets

Elfgeeh used aliases on Twitter to support al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Jihad cause with alleged tweets such as “Al Qaeda said it loud and clear: we are fighting the American invasion and their hegemony over the earth and the people” and “will one day rule the world with the will of Allah.”

According to his criminal complaint, Elfgeeh used the Twitter names Abu Musa al-Yamani @2866594 and Abu Masa al-Faqih @ali1212125. He frequently praised ISIS for preventing food, fuel, and medicine from reaching certain areas of Syria, along with seeking out donations to help with jihad fighters. In these accounts he advocated jihad and martyrdom, stating jihadists are the only true Muslims. He also posted photos and propaganda related to terrorism. He said donating money was the foundation of jihad because without it, jihad could not be successful.

He also used a hashtag #FiveThousandDollarsFromEveryHousehold to help fund ISIS. Elgeeh has been a naturalized U.S citizen since last year.

3. He’s the Owner & Operator of MoJoe’s Foodmart

Elfgeeh was the owner and operator of Halal Mojo and Foodmart, or Mojoe’s, in Rochester. According to federal officials, Elfgeeh wanted to be more than a financial supporter of ISIS, with court documents saying if he couldn’t sell his store, Elfgeeh wanted to help “those who are fed up and want to go to war and be jihadists.”

4. Elfgeeh Sent Money & Bought Weapons

Court documents and Western Union records show Elfgeeh allegedly sent $600 to a Yemeni man who Elgeeh believed had interest in joining a terrorist organization. He also, according to his criminal complaint, bought two handguns and unregistered silencers, with plans to commit alleges acts of violence.

5. He Allegedly Had Plans to Kill Soldiers

From the criminal complaint against Elfgeeh:

Beginning in early 2013, and continuing to present day, Elfgeeh has expressed his support of various terrorist groups (including al-Qa’ida, al-Nusrah Front, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) and violent jihad. … Elfgeeh has plotted to shoot and kill both members of the United States armed forces returning from Iraq and Shi’a Muslims in the Western District of New York. As part of that plan, Elfgeeh purchased two handguns equipped with unregistered firearm silencers and ammunition from CS-2.

Elfgeeh reportedly told one of the FBI agents to “just go around and start shooting” and that he would provide the informants with weapons.

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