SANTA ANA, Calif. – A California man indicted on charges of attempting to provide material support to al-Qaida and lying on a passport application to facilitate terrorism has pleaded not guilty.
Orange County resident Sinh Vinh Ngo Nguyen entered the plea in federal court in Santa Ana on Friday.
A federal magistrate ordered the 24-year-old American citizen detained on grounds of danger and risk of flight.
A trial setting conference was scheduled for Oct. 18.
The FBI says Nguyen was arrested earlier Friday while waiting to board a bus to Mexico.
The indictment says Nguyen is also known as Hasan Abu Omar Ghannoum and attempted to work under the direction of al-Qaida. No more details were immediately available about the alleged act of terrorism.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Heinz declined to comment on the case.
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