Florida man pleads guilty to supporting IS extremist group
By CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man accused in 2020 of plotting terror attacks in the U.S. has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State extremist group. Mohammed Al-Azhari also agreed to accept an 18-year prison sentence in the plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli. The 25-year-old U.S. citizen admitted that he scouted potential terrorism targets in the Tampa Bay area, sought to acquire multiple weapons and pledged an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State. The FBI recorded many conversations between Al-Azhari and confidential or undercover sources in which he discussed avenging imprisoned Islamic State fighters and using violence to oppose U.S. military actions in the Middle East.
