A Helena-West Helena resident was charged with providing support to the terrorist organization al-Qaida, according to a Friday announcement from U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland.
A federal grand jury has charged Bilal Al-Rayanni, 28, a Yemeni national living in Arkansas, with supporting a terrorist organization in Yemen as well as providing a false name on a passport, Hiland, the chief prosecutor for the Eastern District of Arkansas, said.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Cody Hiland, Assistant Director Mike McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office Diane Upchurch announced the charges on Friday.
Al-Rayanni, also known as Bilal Kassim Alawdi, provided material support and resources to al-Qaida by working for the terrorist organization for three months in Yemen in 2014, according to a news release.
Al-Rayanni lived in Arkansas prior to traveling to Yemen and his criminal actions took place out of the country, before he returned to Arkansas, the release states.
He was originally charged on July 11, 2019, in a one-count indictment charging him with making a false statement on a passport application in May. Al-Rayanni has been in federal custody since then.
“The government’s first responsibility is to protect our people and our national interests,” Hiland said in a news release. “This particular investigation also highlights the critical value to our law enforcement agencies that originates from citizens who take the time and effort to report suspicious activity when it is observed.”
The penalty for providing material support to a terrorist organization is not more than 20 years’ imprisonment, and the penalty for providing a false statement on a passport application is not more than 15 years’ imprisonment. Both crimes carry a fine of up to $250,000 and not more than three years of supervised release.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this headline incorrectly described Helena-West Helena's location in Arkansas. It is in the eastern part of the state.