Abdullah Haji Zada, a 19-year-old Afghan national and lawful permanent resident of the United States, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his involvement in plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day in November 2024. According to court documents, Zada and co-conspirator Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi received two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, knowing they would be used for an attack on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
Zada was arrested alongside Tawhedi in October 2024. Authorities say both men planned the attack as part of ISIS activities. Following his arrest at age 17, Zada pleaded guilty as an adult on April 17, 2025. As part of his plea agreement, he accepted a judicial order for removal from the United States to Afghanistan after serving his sentence, which will also end his lawful permanent resident status. He waived most rights to appeal or seek relief from deportation.
“Zada was welcomed into the United States and provided with all the opportunities available to residents of our Nation, yet he chose to embrace terrorism and plot an ISIS-inspired attack on Election Day,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “Today’s sentence, and Zada’s eventual removal from the United States, reflect the seriousness of his betrayal and our commitment to using every tool at our disposal to detect and disrupt such plots.”
Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division stated: “With today’s sentencing, Zada will pay the price for participating in a plot last year to conduct an ISIS-inspired Election Day terrorist attack. Detecting and preventing acts of terrorism against the American people is an essential part of the FBI’s mission. We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”
United States Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma commented: “The sentence today reflects the gravity of the planned terrorist attack, which was thwarted by the exceptional work of law enforcement. The Department of Justice remains vigilant and focused to detect, deter, and disrupt acts of terrorism and hold offenders accountable.”
FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater added: “By hatching a violent plot against the United States on behalf of ISIS, the defendant and his co-conspirator shamefully turned their backs on the country that provided them safety and refuge. I’m extremely proud of the swift and coordinated action taken by the Oklahoma City Joint Terrorism Task Force as soon as this disturbing plan was uncovered. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will never relent in our fight against terrorism, and in protecting the American people from those who wish them harm.”
At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk imposed a 180-month prison term on Zada while highlighting both punishment for wrongdoing and deterrence against future criminal conduct.
Tawhedi pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025, to conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS as well as receiving firearms intended for use in terrorism-related crimes. He faces up to 20 years in prison for providing material support charges plus up to 15 years for firearms offenses; no sentencing date has been set.
After serving their sentences, both men are subject to permanent removal from the United States under stipulated judicial orders.
The investigation involved multiple agencies through the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force including Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; U.S. Marshals Service; Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation; Edmond Police Department; Moore Police Department; Oklahoma City Police Department; Oklahoma City Community College Police Department; and Oklahoma City University Police Department.
Prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry and Matt Dillon (Western District of Oklahoma), Everett McMillian (formerly National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section), other trial attorneys from that section, along with Mark Stoneman (Money Laundering, Narcotics & Forfeiture Section).
