US man pleads guilty to lying about fighting in Syria

In this image posted on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015, by the Rased News Network, a Facebook page affiliated with Islamic State, shows Islamic State militants preparing to fire a mortar to shell towards Syrian government forces positions at Tal Arn in Aleppo province, Syria. Islamic State militants seized several villages from rival insurgents north of Aleppo city Friday, in a surprise attack that came despite intensive Russian airstrikes that Moscow insists are targeting the extremist group, activists said. Arabic reads, “Targeting positions of the Alawite army in Tal Arn with mortar shells.” AP

SAN DIEGO — A Syrian-American man from San Diego pleaded guilty Thursday to lying to US officials about knowing a member of the extremist Islamic State group and about participating in combat against the Syrian regime.

Mohamad Saeed, 24, entered his plea in federal court to two counts of making false statements involving international terrorism.

The statements were made in March to FBI and State Department officials during a terrorism-related interview at the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, where Saeed had stopped on his way back from a trip to Syria.

US authorities arrested him in April at his home in a San Diego suburb.

In his plea agreement, Saeed said he did know a member of the Islamic State in Iraq, and that while in Syria he fought alongside Al Nusrah, an al-Qaida-linked terrorist organization.

He had denied both things when questioned by US officials.

“Lying to federal agents — particularly in a terrorism probe — is a crime that has the potential to influence an investigation or even jeopardize national security,” US Attorney Laura Duffy said.

Prosecutor Michael Kaplan said he could not comment when asked why Saeed was charged only with making false statements and not terrorism since he acknowledged fighting alongside a terror group.

Saeed and his lawyer could not be reached for comment.

Saeed was born in Syria and became a naturalized US citizen in September 2008. He initially told US officials that he went to Syria to retrieve his mother and other family members.

After his arrest, prosecutors released photos of him allegedly holding an AK-47 in Syria.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys plan to jointly recommend the maximum sentence of eight years in prison.

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