4 times southwest Ohio men were accused in terror plots

Federal prosecutors in Dayton's U.S. District Court have charged a man with attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization.

Naser Almadaoji, 19, of Beavercreek, was arrested at the Columbus airport Wednesday and had tickets to travel to Kazakhstan, Benjamin Glassman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, said Thursday.

The arrest is at least the fourth time a southwest Ohio man has been snagged on terrorism-related charges.

2018: Beavercreek resident accused of planning to join ISIS. Almadaoji is suspected of traveling to Egypt and Jordan in February and told U.S. Customs and Border Protection that he returned because his backpack and $3,000 were stolen by a taxi driver. Almadaoji said he told the story to officials at the U.S. Embassy in Jordan, according to a criminal complaint.

According to the complaint, Almadaoji was born in Iraq and is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

The government alleges on or about August 15 after Almadaoji returned to the U.S. he used an online messaging application to communicate with an FBI confidential source posing as an ISIS supporter. The next day, Almadaoji communicated again with the source, who put Almadaoji in touch with a another confidential source he believed to be a British contact in Iraq, according to the complaint.

2017: Dayton man arrested at Cincinnati airport: Laith Alebbini, 26, was arrested before a flight to the Middle East on his way to Syria to join ISIS fighters, according to the FBI.

Alebbini came onto the FBI’s radar in January when attempting to enter the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C. A U.S. attorney said an FBI insider was working with Alebbini and relaying information back to agents.

On Wednesday, Alebbini and a confidential source went to the Cincinnati airport and got their boarding passes from United Airlines. After Alebbini walked toward the security checkpoint, law enforcement officers arrested him and advised him of his Miranda rights.

MORE: Who is the Dayton man linked to ISIS?

2015: Man arrested in Mason after purchasing rifle: Munir Abdulkader, now 22, from West Chester Twp., was arrested May 21, 2015, in Mason by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force after purchasing an assault rifle.

Abdulkader was recruited by an ISIS leader in Syria admitted guilt to a host of terror-related charges, including a plan to attack police and military forces in southwest Ohio. He planned to use an AK-47 and Molotov cocktails in the attacks, according to federal court documents.

The plans came after Abdulkader said his cousin had died fighting for ISIS, documents said. Today, Abdulkader is in prison at Estill Federal Corrections Institution in South Carolina with a scheduled release date of Oct. 21, 2032.

MORE:West Chester ISIS supporter admits plot

2015: Cincinnati-are man arrested ahead of plot: 20-year-old Christopher Lee Cornell was arrested in January 2015 on three federal charges. Capitol. He was arrested outside a Colerain Twp. gun store moments after he purchased two semi-automatic rifles and 600 rounds of ammo.

In 2014, the FBI tapped an unnamed informant who talked with Cornell on social media and met with him in person. The former high school wrestler began learning about pipe bombs and plotted to put them near the U.S. Capitol, according to federal officials.

The FBI said Cornell posted statements and videos online where he expressed support for ISIS. Today, Cornell is held at the Fairton Federal Corrections Institution in New Jersey with a scheduled release date of March 3, 2041.

MORE:Cincinnati man accused in terrorist plot

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