Dearborn men plotted terror attack at Ferndale locations, feds say

(FOX 2) - Two men have been charged in connection with arrests made on Halloween weekend after federal and state police officers raided locations in Dearborn and Inkster on Friday.

Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud have both been charged with a single federal count of conspiring to commit an act of terrorism.

With the help of other co-conspirators not named in a federal complaint filed in court on Monday, the defendants had allegedly planned potential attacks in Ferndale, Michigan.

Both had discussed plans over the summer over encrypted communication services like WhatsApp to carry out an attack on behalf of ISIS, according to the complaint.

Later in the year, they purchased several high-powered firearms and accessories. They later purchased 1,600 rounds of ammunition before practicing with the firearms at a shooting range.

On the day of the arrest, agents with the FBI seized several weapons, including

• AR=15 style rifles
• Shotguns
• Handguns
• Ammunition
• Accessories
• Body armor

As a result, both men were charged with: Receiving and transferring, and attempting and conspiring to transfer, firearms and ammunition knowing and having reasonable cause to believe that the firearms and ammunition would be used to commit a Federal crime of terrorism.

Planned Terror Attack

Discussions about carrying out an attack began over a year ago with several recorded conversations between co-conspirators making references to an attack in Paris in 2015. 

One of the co-conspirators had also searched ISIS on Google, according to records on their phone. A deeper dive into the payment history of one of the defendants revealed purchases for high-powered rifles and accessories for firearms. Among the equipment purchased included muzzles, specialized triggers, sights, and grips. 

One item that was purchased included a "forced reset trigger" which increases the rate of fire for the weapon it's attached to.

Defendant Mahmoud also purchased weapons following a visit from a co-conspirator, who met both defendants at Ali's home. Police records also verified both men had applied for a firearms license. 

Surveillance footage and a receipt confirmed Ali had scheduled multiple trips to Downriver Guns, a gun store and range with multiple locations in Michigan, in September.

They visited the Belleville location on Sept. 25, according to a federal complaint entered into court. The gun shop also confirmed a second individual who visited that day was Majed Mahmoud. 

Both men made a second visit to Downriver Guns on Oct. 16. 

Defendants scouted locations frequented by LGBTQ communty

Both Ali and Mahmoud visited Ferndale in September, according to the federal complaint. 

Both defendants spent several hours in the city. According to the complaint, they visited "numerous bars and restaurants, including three bars/clubs" in the city. 

All three of the clubs were located on Woodward Avenue near East Nine Mile. 

"Many of the clubs and bars in this area intentionally attract members of the LGBTQ+ community," the complaint said.

Plotting the attack

Among the dialogue referenced in the federal complaint is a conversation on Oct. 19 in which an unnamed individual spoke to Ali about no longer delaying plans for a potential attack date.

"No point in extending it, it’s not that deep," Person 1 told Ali.

". . . it is, because you only get one chance at this," Ali said.

"Yeah, I only get one chance, it’s just this and I want to do it in the safest way possible," Person 1 said and Ali responded, "Yeah, yeah [UI] in the best way possible, [God willing]."

Later in the day, both men, along with a co-conspirator began to argue about whether to delay carrying out an attack. 

"bro, Mohmed [ALI], [by God] it’s not worth it, I am telling you, you guys just worry too much, you are thinking of [UI], you have a group and an operation and that, and that it’s going to be huge, it’s going to be fine, it’s going to go and then that’s it."

The investigating agent believed references to "pumpkin" was code for Halloween and the potential timing of an attack. 

On Oct. 24, Person 1 asked Ali if was "gonna do pumpkin?"

"I would love to, you know by God, by God genuinely, deep in my heart by God I would love to," Ali responded.

Evidence Seized by Police

A judge authorized search warrants on Oct. 29.

On Oct. 31, police executed the warrants at Ali's residence and found various weapons, accessories for guns, extended magazines, and other weapon components.

At Mahmoud's residence, police found more firearms, 1,680 rounds of ammunition, more weapon accessories, and body armor. 

At a U-Haul storage unit rented by Ali in Inkster, police found two chest rigs that can carry ammunition, and receipts for several firearm and ammunition purchases.

The backstory:

On Oct. 31, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that a terror attack had been thwarted in Michigan after police had converged at multiple locations in Metro Detroit.

Dearborn and Inkster police both confirmed the FBI was carrying out operations in their cities on Friday. 

However, an attorney for the defendants told FOX 2 over the weekend there was no such plan. At the time, charges had not been filed in the case.

On Sunday, Lawyer Hussein Bazzi said the attorneys representing the suspects have not received any updates on the investigation or allegations since their clients were arrested.

"We haven't been updated. Director Kash Patel comes out and makes a statement over social media, over Twitter, that there was a potential terrorist threat that was thwarted with no other information, and I think that's very telling, especially when several days have passed with no criminal charges being filed," he said.