NEW YORK – A Maryland man has been indicted on federal charges he provided material support to an al-Qaida offshoot that has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks in East Africa.
Authorities on Monday said 31-year-old Maalik Alim Jones traveled to Somalia in 2011 to fight on behalf of the al-Shabab militant group. They say Jones learned how to fire an AK-47 and rocket-propelled grenade, then used his training to attack the Kenyan government.
Jones appeared in federal court in Manhattan on Dec. 19 to face charges that include conspiracy to provide material support to al-Shabab and possessing, carrying, and using firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence. Information on his lawyer wasn't immediately available.
If convicted, Jones faces up to life in prison.
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This story has been corrected to show that the Muslim militant group is spelled al-Qaida, not al-Qaeda, and the Somali militant group is al-Shabab, not al-Shabaab.
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