Rezwan Ferdaus

Ferdaus was born and raised in Ashland, Massachusetts. He had two previous arrests, one for a high school prank during which he and other students poured cement on in front of the school doors, and the other for marijuana possession. Ferdaus studied physics at Northeastern University in Boston.{{cite news| url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/28/massachusetts-man-arrested-in-plot-to-destroy-pentagon-us-capitol/ | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130123124930/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/28/massachusetts-man-arrested-in-plot-to-destroy-pentagon-us-capitol/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 23, 2013 | work=Fox News | title=Feds Say Public Was Never in Danger in Massachusetts Man's Thwarted Terror Plot | date=29 September 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/who-is-rezwan-ferdaus-20110928|title=Who is Rezwan Ferdaus?|date=28 September 2011|work=MyFoxBoston|accessdate=29 September 2011}}{{cite news|last1=Bidgood|first1=Jess|title=Massachusetts Man Gets 17 Years in Terrorist Plot|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/us/rezwan-ferdaus-of-massachusetts-gets-17-years-in-terrorist-plot.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share|accessdate=29 August 2016|work=The New York Times|date=2 November 2012}}

An undercover FBI agent infiltrated Ferdaus' local mosque, and coaxed him into agreeing to participate in a terror attack, despite being aware he had a mental disability.{{cite book |last=Vitale |first=Alex S. |author-link=Alex S. Vitale |date=2017 |title=The End of Policing |publisher=Verso Books |page=212 |isbn=9781784782894}}

Ferdaus was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on September 28, 2011, for plotting to attack The Pentagon and the United States Capitol Building with remote-controlled model aircraft packed with C-4 explosives.{{cite news |title=Rezwan Ferdaus held over Pentagon and Capitol bomb plot |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15101449 |work=BBC News |date=September 29, 2011}} He was also charged with supporting Al-Qaeda by plotting attacks on American soldiers abroad and making detonators for improvised explosive devices.{{cite news |last=Valencia |first=Milton J. |date=September 28, 2011 |title=Federal agents charge Ashland man with targeting Pentagon, Capitol with aerial explosives |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/09/28/federal_agents_charge_ashland_man_with_targeting_pentagon_capitol_with_aerial_explosives/ |work=The Boston Globe}}

On July 20, 2012, Ferdaus pleaded guilty to the following charges in Federal District Court in Boston, Massachusetts:

• Conspiracy to destroy national defense premises
• Conspiracy to damage and destroy buildings owned by the U.S. government
• Conspiracy to provide material support and resources to Al-Qaeda.{{Cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/rezwan-ferdaus-capitol-pentagon_n_1690755.html |title=Rezwan Ferdaus Admits Guilt In Plot To Blow Up Pentagon And U.S. Capitol |first=Denise |last=Lavoie |date=July 20, 2012 |agency=Associated Press |work=The Huffington Post}}{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-09-28/massachusetts-man-charged-with-airborne-pentagon-attack-plot.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118155608/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-09-28/massachusetts-man-charged-with-airborne-pentagon-attack-plot.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 18, 2013|title=Massachusetts Man Charged With Airborne Pentagon-Attack Plot|date=28 September 2011|work=Businessweek|accessdate=28 September 2011}}{{cite web | last = Peralta | first = Eyder | url = https://www.npr.org/templates/archives/archive.php?thingId=103943429&date=9-28-2011&archiveAnchorId=140860934#archivestory140858091 | title = FBI: Mass. Man Arrested For Plot Against Pentagon, Capitol | date = 2011-09-28 | publisher = NPR }}

Prosecutors and Ferdaus's defense attorneys agreed to recommend a 17-year sentence. On November 1, 2012, Judge Richard Stearns sentenced Ferdaus to 17 years in federal prison.{{Cite news |url=http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/02/14876075-massachusetts-man-gets-17-years-for-plot-to-bomb-pentagon-capitol-with-model-planes?lite |title=Massachusetts man gets 17 years for plot to bomb Pentagon, Capitol with model planes |date=November 2, 2012 |publisher=NBC}}

Ferdaus was then booked in the incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Victorville, a high-security facility in California. He was later booked in New York at the Federal Correctional Institution, Ray Brook, and is scheduled for release in 2026.{{cite web|url=https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/|title=Inmate Locator|website=www.bop.gov}}

Ferdaus's arrest and prosecution has been criticized by Human Rights Watch, who state that he was incapable of carrying out the plans which were alleged. Ferdaus experienced severe physical and mental health issues leading up to his arrest, at one point requiring his father to quit his job to take care of him. The FBI knew about his mental health issues, but continued the operation.{{cite journal | url=https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/07/21/illusion-justice/human-rights-abuses-us-terrorism-prosecutions | title=Illusion of Justice: Human Rights Abuses in US Terrorism Prosecutions | journal=Human Rights Watch | date=21 July 2014 }}

• Farooque Ahmed
• Amine El Khalifi
• David Headley
• Sami Osmakac
• Faisal Shahzad

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.fbi.gov/boston/press-releases/2011/massachusetts-man-charged-with-plotting-attack-on-pentagon-and-u.s.-capitol-and-attempting-to-provide-material-support-to-a-foreign-terrorist-organization FBI Press release]
• [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/documents/fbi-affidavit-rezwan-ferdaus.html FBI Affidavit]

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Category:1985 births

Category:Muslims from Massachusetts

Category:American people of Bangladeshi descent

Category:21st-century American physicists

Category:Living people

Category:Northeastern University alumni

Category:People convicted on terrorism charges

Category:Criminals from Massachusetts

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