Muslim Cleric Found Guilty Of Supporting Pakistani Taliban
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – After more than five days of deliberations, an elderly Muslim cleric has been found guilty of providing thousands of dollars in support to the Pakistani Taliban.
The 12-person federal jury in Miami returned the verdict Monday morning against Hafiz Khan, 77, after a two-month trial. Khan was found guilty of two conspiracy counts and two counts of providing material support to terrorists.
Prosecutors centered their case on hundreds of FBI recordings of conversations in which Khan expressed support for Taliban attacks and discussed sending roughly $50,000 to Pakistan.
Khan testified he opposes the Taliban and said the money went to family, to support his Pakistan religious school and for business purposes. Khan also said he lied to an FBI informant about Taliban support in hopes of obtaining $1 million from him.
Each charge carries the potential for up to 15 years in prison.
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