A Brooklyn man was indicted Wednesday on federal terrorism charges for last month’s botched bombing in a New York City subway station.
Akayed Ullah, a Bangladeshi immigrant who has worked as a taxi
driver and an electrician, would face life in prison if convicted of the holiday season attack in a passageway near the Port Authority bus terminal.
“In selecting this time and place, Ullah’s alleged purpose in the Port Authority bombing was painfully clear: to inflict as much damage as possible, and to strike fear into the hearts of New Yorkers in the name of ISIS,” US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said in announcing the indictment.
A criminal complaint said that before the blast, Ullah posted two messages to his Facebook page — one that referenced ISIS and another that taunted the president.
“Trump you failed to protect your nation,” the post said, according to court papers.
The crude explosive device, allegedly constructed with instructions found on the internet, was fashioned from a pipe, a 9-volt battery and Christmas lights, and was packed with metal screws to maximize damage.
Ullah, 27, was the only person seriously injured in the December 11 incident. He suffered burns and wounds and made his first court appearance via video link from his hospital room.
He has since been transferred to the federal jail in Manhattan.
Ullah, who has a green card, came to the United States in 2011 with the help of two immigration programs. His uncle came first after winning a visa lottery and then sponsored him under a policy sometimes called chain migration. Trump cited Ullah’s case as a reason to dismantle both immigration policies.
He began to self-radicalize three years ago, authorities said, but law enforcement said he was not on their radar before the subway attack.
The indictment charges Ullah with material support of a terrorist organization, use of a weapon of mass destruction and four other related counts, reports NBC.
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