A self-described Hamas operative who infiltrated the US Air Power and as soon as boasted that he’s “been a terrorist since he’s been a kid” was busted this week alongside two Pittsburgh girls after the feds foiled an obvious terror plot involving a pair of pipe bombs.
Mohamad Hamad, 23, who has twin citizenship within the US and Lebanon, was already charged for defacing a synagogue was hit Tuesday with a nine-count superseding indictment together with Tayla Lubit, 24, and Micaiah Collins, 22.
“Mohamad Hamad lied about his loyalty to the United States, among other false statements, in an attempt to obtain a Top-Secret security clearance,” Performing US Lawyer Rivetti mentioned.
“During that time, he openly expressed support for Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Hamas. In addition to his previously charged role in defacing Jewish religious property, he also conspired with others named in this Superseding Indictment to manufacture and detonate destructive devices.”
Hamad and Lubit, had been each beforehand indicted for scrawling purple anti-Zionist graffiti on the Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s synagogue and defacing the Jewish Federation of Higher Pittsburgh’s workplace constructing.
Shortly after enlisting within the Air Power, Pennsylvania Air Nationwide Guard in June 2023, Hamad, who lived in Coraopolis, Pa., privately messaged an affiliate in Ohio that “[i]t’s still Palestine on top though make no mistake,” prosecutors allege.
Throughout his Air Power coaching, Hamad privately shared footage Hamas’ violent assaults in opposition to Israel with an affiliate and wrote that “Us Muslims never surrender or back down,” the indictment claims.
In December of 2023, Hamad accomplished the paperwork to acquire a top-secret safety clearance and later had three interviews and a background verify with the Protection Counterintelligence and Safety Company, throughout which he allegedly lied about his loyalty to the US.
“Been a terrorist since I was a kid in Lebanon, real s–t,” Hamad wrote in a June 2024 Sign message to Collins alongside a photograph of him as a toddler holding up a gun, prosecutors mentioned.
Round that point, Hamad and Collins conspired to develop a “destructive device” and detonated a prototype, whereas musing over the harm it may do.
“That s–t was a blast,” Hamad wrote in a July 7, 2024 message to Collins per prosecutors.
Hamad later constructed two pipe bombs and extra “destructive devices” earlier than detonating them as effectively.
Following the preliminary take a look at explosion, Hamad proudly declared himself a “Hamas operative” in non-public messages and mused concerning the “terror” residents could have felt in the event that they noticed him wearing a masks whereas ripping up Israeli flags in “white suburbia,” the indictment alleges.
On Instagram, Hamad paid homage to Hamas leaders, writing, “Without these men our resistance would be 100 years behind.”
Prosecutors didn’t reveal any particular plot Hamad could have had with the explosive units.
Later that July, he and Lubit scrawled purple “Jews 4 Palestine” graffiti on Chabad of Squirrel Hill and “Funds Genocide Jews, Hate Zionists” on the Jewish Federation of Higher Pittsburgh’s workplace constructing.
“I can literally feel myself starting to see Jews as my enemies,” Lubit wrote in a message to Hamad that July.
“Like, I’m ANGRY. I’m so tired of feeling like being Jewish means I have to second guess being anti oppression,” she mentioned in one other message. “
I can’t survive being Jewish if I don’t be taught to get previous that. I’ll simply find yourself abandoning it.”
Lubit additionally allegedly assist Hamad establish Jewish buildings within the space to focus on.
Authorities in the end traced the graffiti again to Hamad and later uncovered his improvement of pipe bombs and different explosive units, in keeping with the FBI.
“We always rely on tips from the public,” a spokesperson advised The Submit. “This really started with the vandalism to the religious institutions here … determining the suspects in that and determining what their motivations were for the fairly strict criteria for a federal hate crime.”
Hamad is dealing with prices for making false statements, possession of harmful units, conspiracy, defacing and damaging a spiritual constructing, the Justice Division introduced Wednesday.
If convicted, he may get sentenced to as much as 10 years behind bars and get hit with as much as $250,000 in fines.
Collins can also be dealing with prices of conspiracy, which entails as much as 5 years in jail and a $250,000 tremendous.
Lubit is dealing with prices for conspiracy and defacing and damaging a spiritual constructing, which incorporates as much as one yr in jail and a $100,000 tremendous.
“The FBI and our partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who reportedly choose to lie about being loyal to this country and instead engage in dangerous, menacing, and illegal activities,” FBI Pittsburgh Particular Agent in Cost Kevin Rojek mentioned in a press release.
