Kansas City Man Admits Aiding Al Qaeda

Khalid Ouazzani pleads guilty to terror charges in Missouri federal court.

ByABC News
May 19, 2010, 4:20 PM

May 19, 2010 — -- In another case involving terror-related activity by a U.S. citizen, a Kansas City, Missouri man has pleaded guilty to federal charges of sending more than $23,000 to individuals associated with Al Qaeda.

Khalid Ouazzani, a 32-year-old auto-parts store owner originally from Morocco, was arrested earlier this year, but his case was kept under seal until his guilty plea in a Western District of Missouri federal courtroom Wednesday. According to DOJ officials and to court documents filed in the case, Ouazzani sold his U.S. business, Truman Auto Parts, and an apartment he owned in the United Arab Emirates and sent the proceeds to Al Qaeda-connected individuals outside the U.S during 2007.

Ouazzani purchased the apartment in 2007 after obtaining a fraudulent loan for $175,000. He sold the residence for a profit of $17,000, according to court records. Ouazzani also pleaded guilty to money laundering and bank fraud for obtaining the loan with fraudulent information.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE CHARGES AGAINST OUAZZANI

The funds were sent from a Bank of America account to an account of an unidentified co-conspirator in United Arab Emirates. Ouazzani also admitted in his guilty plea that he pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda through one of his co-conspirators in June 2008 after he had sent the funds overseas.

According to the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors, "It was a part of the conspiracy that Ouazzani and co-conspirators would and did discuss various specific ways they could support Al Qaeda, including providing currency, advice and assistance to Al Qaeda, such assistance including fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia at the request of Al Qaeda."

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According to the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors, \"It was a part of the conspiracy that Ouazzani and co-conspirators would and did discuss various specific ways they could support Al Qaeda, including providing currency, advice and assistance to Al Qaeda, such assistance including fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia at the request of Al Qaeda.\"","publishedDate":"2010-05-19T20:20:10Z","contributors":[{"name":"ABC News","url":"","role":"","logo":"","logoAlt":""}],"modifiedDate":"2010-05-19T22:19:21Z","section":"Blotter","wordCount":266,"relatedTags":{"heading":"Related Topics","tags":[]},"lead":{"ratio":"16x9","disableForMobile":false,"type":"xl","mediaType":"image","alignCaptionToBody":true},"ads":{"Sticky":{"kvps":{"test":true}},"RightRail":{"kvps":{"test":true}},"InlineBox":{},"InlineOutstream":{"disabled":false},"Taboola":{"position":"bottom","pageType":"article","config":{"network":"abcnews-abcnews","mode":"thumbnails-a","container":"taboola-below-article-thumbnails","type":"article","targetType":"mix","placement":"Below Article Thumbnails"}}},"featuredVideo":null,"dateline":"May 19, 2010 —","seo":{},"LivePromotion":{}},"autoUpdate":{"enabled":false,"topics":["general-elections-2020-balance-of-power"]}},"upw":{"balanceOfPower":{"electoral":{"header":"Biden Projected to be President-Elect","candidates":{"democrats":{"id":1036,"displayName":"Joe Biden","shortDisplayName":"J. 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