United States v. Jumaev (material support arrest in relation to IJU)

 DENVER – Bakhtiyor Jumaev, 45, of Philadelphia, was arrested this morning without incident by members of the Philadelphia FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the Department of Justice announced today. Jumaev was charged by criminal complaint in the District of Colorado with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorism organization, specifically, the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU).  If convicted, Jumaev faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.  The defendant made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, where he was advised of his rights and the charges pending against him. The FBI has been conducting an investigation into the activities of Jumaev and his associate, Jamshid Muhtorov, who was arrested in January 2012 on similar charges.  According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Jumaev and Muhtorov pledged support for the IJU, and Jumaev sent funds to Muhtorov specifically intended for the IJU.  The IJU is an extremist organization that is responsible for a number of attacks and bombings, including attacks against Coalition forces in Afghanistan.  The IJU has been designated by the U.S. secretary of state as a foreign terrorist organization. This case was investigated by the FBI’s JTTF, which is comprised of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in cities across the country, including the FBI’s JTTFs in Philadelphia and Denver.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania assisted with this matter.  The investigation was also aided by the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. Jumaev and Muhtorov are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Holloway. The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.