Rezwan Ferdaus

Rezwan Ferdaus (born 1985) is a United States citizen of Bangladeshi descent who is serving a federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to terrorism charges in 2012.[1]

Rezwan Ferdaus
Born1985 (age 37–38)
Massachusetts, United States
ArrestedSeptember 28, 2011
CitizenshipUnited States
StatusIncarcerated

Biography

Ferdaus was born and raised in Ashland, Massachusetts. He had two previous arrests, one for a high school prank during which he and other students poured cement on in front of the school doors, and the other for marijuana possession. Ferdaus studied physics at Northeastern University in Boston.[2][3][4]

Arrest

An undercover FBI agent infiltrated Ferdaus' local mosque, and coaxed him into agreeing to participate in a terror attack, despite being aware he had a mental disability.[5]

Ferdaus was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on September 28, 2011, for plotting to attack The Pentagon and the United States Capitol Building with remote-controlled model aircraft packed with C-4 explosives.[6] He was also charged with supporting Al-Qaeda by plotting attacks on American soldiers abroad and making detonators for improvised explosive devices.[7]

Guilty plea and sentencing

On July 20, 2012, Ferdaus pleaded guilty to the following charges in Federal District Court in Boston, Massachusetts:

  • Conspiracy to destroy national defense premises
  • Conspiracy to damage and destroy buildings owned by the U.S. government
  • Conspiracy to provide material support and resources to Al-Qaeda.[8][9][10]

Prosecutors and Ferdaus's defense attorneys agreed to recommend a 17-year sentence. On November 1, 2012, Judge Richard Stearns sentenced Ferdaus to 17 years in federal prison.[11]

Ferdaus is incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Victorville, a high-security facility in California, and is scheduled for release in 2026.[12]

Human Rights Watch

Ferdaus's arrest and prosecution has been criticized by Human Rights Watch, who state that he was incapable of carrying out the plans which were alleged. Ferdaus experienced severe physical and mental health issues leading up to his arrest, at one point requiring his father to quit his job to take care of him. The FBI knew about his mental health issues, but continued the operation.[13]

See also

References
  1. "Rezwan Ferdaus had pot, other arrests". WFXT. September 30, 2011.
  2. "Feds Say Public Was Never in Danger in Massachusetts Man's Thwarted Terror Plot". Fox News. 29 September 2011.
  3. "Who is Rezwan Ferdaus?". MyFoxBoston. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  4. Bidgood, Jess (2 November 2012). "Massachusetts Man Gets 17 Years in Terrorist Plot". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  5. Vitale, Alex S. (2017). The End of Policing. Verso Books. p. 212. ISBN 9781784782894.
  6. "Rezwan Ferdaus held over Pentagon and Capitol bomb plot". BBC News. September 29, 2011.
  7. Valencia, Milton J. (September 28, 2011). "Federal agents charge Ashland man with targeting Pentagon, Capitol with aerial explosives". The Boston Globe.
  8. Lavoie, Denise (July 20, 2012). "Rezwan Ferdaus Admits Guilt In Plot To Blow Up Pentagon And U.S. Capitol". The Huffington Post. Associated Press.
  9. "Massachusetts Man Charged With Airborne Pentagon-Attack Plot". Businessweek. 28 September 2011. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  10. Peralta, Eyder (2011-09-28). "FBI: Mass. Man Arrested For Plot Against Pentagon, Capitol". NPR.
  11. "Massachusetts man gets 17 years for plot to bomb Pentagon, Capitol with model planes". NBC. November 2, 2012.
  12. "Inmate Locator". www.bop.gov.
  13. "Illusion of Justice: Human Rights Abuses in US Terrorism Prosecutions". 21 July 2014.



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