Terrorists bent on murder and destruction. Elected officials on the take. Cyber crooks hacking networks and emptying bank accounts. Fraudsters using scams old and new to pilfer billions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans.
On every investigative front, it was a busy year.
We worked thousands of investigations during 2009—from art crime to weapons of mass destruction violations. As the year comes to a close, we thought you'd be interested in a rundown of some of our most significant cases—in terms of their impact on your communities and the overall security of our nation.
Today, we'll focus on our top investigative priority: protecting the nation from terrorist attack. The threat posed by extremists is real—and it continues to morph and evolve in new and dangerous ways. We had our hands full during the year, from heading off potential plots on U.S. soil to identifying Americans being recruited to wage jihad overseas. Here are some of the top terror cases of 2009:
Jihadists of Georgia: With little more than an Internet connection and the radicalizing influences of overseas terrorists, two middle-class young men in Atlanta went from rhetoric to plotting jihad. Details
David Coleman Headley: The U.S. citizen was arrested in October for planning terrorist attacks against a Danish newspaper and two of its employees. New charges this month allege he took part in the conspiracy surrounding the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Details
Somalia: In February, we reported that young men from Minneapolis were traveling to Somalia to join extremists fighting for control of the country. One of those men became who we believe was the first U.S. citizen to carry out a terrorist suicide bombing after launching an attack in Somalia. By November, 14 defendants were charged with recruiting people from the U.S. to train or fight on behalf of extremist groups in Somalia. Details
Najibullah Zazi: The 24-year-old Colorado resident was arrested in September, along with his father and another man, for conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against U.S. citizens. Zazi traveled to New York City on September 10, 2009 “in furtherance of his criminal plans,” according to the Department of Justice. Details
Attempted bombing of federal building: In September, a U.S. citizen was arrested in connection with a plot to detonate a vehicle bomb at the federal building in Springfield, Illinois. Details
Attempted skyscraper bombing: Also in September, a 19-year-old Jordanian citizen who espoused violent jihad was arrested for attempting to blow up a 60-story glass office tower in Dallas, Texas. Details
North Carolina takedown: Seven men, including a father and two sons, were charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and to wage jihad overseas. The heavily armed group trained in the U.S., raised money to support their training, and recruited and radicalized others. Details
Synagogue plot: In May, four people were arrested outside a New York synagogue and charged with planning to blow up Jewish targets and shoot down military planes. Details
Liberty City Six: In May, a Miami jury convicted five men of providing material support to al Qaeda and planning attacks on U.S. targets, including the Sears Tower in Chicago. Details
Ali al-Marri: In May, the al Qaeda “sleeper” operative working in the U.S. pled guilty to charges relating to his role in the 9/11 attacks. Details
Next: Fraud, espionage, corruption, and more
|
