A Saudi national pleaded guilty Friday to visa fraud for failing to disclose his attendance at one of Al Qaeda’s key training camps in Afghanistan before entering the United States.
Naif Abdelaziz Alfallaj, 34, of Oklahoma pleaded guilty to visa fraud and making a false statement to the FBI. He faces up to 10 years in prison for the visa offense and up to eight years in prison for making a false statement. A $250,000 fine could be levied for each count.
As part of his plea deal, Alfallaj also agreed to be deported at the end of his prison term.
Prosecutors said Alfallaj attended the Al Qaeda-operated Farooq terrorist training camp around September 2000, filling out a form using a nickname. The FBI later found 15 of Alfallaj’s fingerprints on the document after it was recovered by the U.S. Military from an Al Qaeda safe house.
Alfallaj is alleged to have entered the United States in late 2011 on a non-immigration visa based on his wife’s status as a foreign student. He answered “no” when asked on the visa application if he supported terrorist organizations or had firearms or other specialized training.
Alfallaj is also accused of making false statements to the FBI when he denied associating with anyone from a foreign terrorist group.
The FBI arrested Alfallaj in February.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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