OKLAHOMA CITY –
A federal judge has sentenced Abdullah Haji Zada, a 19-year-old lawful permanent resident from Afghanistan living in Oklahoma, to 15 years in federal prison for plotting an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack on Election Day 2024, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma.
Prosecutors said Zada attempted to receive two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition with the intent to use the weapons in a coordinated attack on behalf of ISIS. Federal agents arrested Zada in October 2024 along with co-conspirator Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 28, also an Afghan citizen, after investigators said the pair sought firearms for the attack.
“Zada was welcomed into the United States and provided with all the opportunities available to resident of our Nation, yet he chose to embrace terrorism,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said. “Today’s sentence, and Zada’s eventual removal from the United States, reflect the seriousness of his betrayal.”
Maximum sentence imposed
Zada pleaded guilty as an adult on April 17, 2025. U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk in Oklahoma City sentenced him to the statutory maximum of 180 months, citing the seriousness of the planned violence and the need for deterrence.
As part of his plea agreement, Zada accepted a judicial order of removal to Afghanistan once his prison term ends, permanently ending his lawful permanent resident status and waiving any right to appeal deportation.
Officials detail disrupted plot
The FBI said Zada and Tawhedi pursued rifles and ammunition to carry out an attack motivated by support for ISIS. Officials credited the Oklahoma City Joint Terrorism Task Force with uncovering and disrupting the plot.
“The sentence today reflects the gravity of the planned terrorist attack, which was thwarted by the exceptional work of law enforcement,” U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester said.
i pleaded guilty in June to providing material support to ISIS and to receiving firearms in furtherance of a terror attack. Tawhedi faces up to 20 years for the material support charge and up to 15 years for the firearms charge. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
Federal authorities said both men will be removed from the United States after serving their sentences.
