"Awais Chudhary, 22, a naturalized US citizen born in Pakistan and residing in Queens, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Brooklyn to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a designated foreign terrorist organization," the Justice Department said in a press release on Friday.
According to court filings, in August 2019, after watching violent terrorist propaganda videos, Chudhary pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and began planning to carry out a knife or bomb attack, the release said.
"Chudhary ordered items online that he intended to use to commit a terrorist attack, including a tactical knife, a mask, gloves, and a cellphone chest and head strap. ... Chudhary was arrested as he attempted to retrieve the items from an online retailer’s locker in Queens," the release added.
When sentenced, Chudhary will face a term of up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the release.
*The Islamic State is a terrorist group outlawed in Russia