Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — One of three men arrested on charges of plotting to help the Islamic State group wage war against the U.S. was ordered transferred from Florida to New York on Tuesday.
A federal judge in Jacksonville ordered Abror Habibov's transfer during a detention hearing. He is scheduled to be in New York by March 11.
Habibov was arrested in Jacksonville last week and charged with attempt and conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization.
The 30-year-old Habibov ran cellphone repair kiosks at malls in Florida, Georgia and Virginia, and federal prosecutors say he helped fund 19-year-old Akhror Saidakhmetov's efforts to join the Islamic State group in Syria.
Saidakhmetov and another man, 24-year-old Abdurasul Hasanovich Juraboev, were arrested in Brooklyn.
According to federal prosecutors, Saidakhmetov is a citizen of Kazakhstan, and worked for a time with Habibov at the kiosks.
Habibov, a native of Uzbekistan whose visa had expired, is being without bail in Florida. One of the kiosks he operated was in a suburban Jacksonville mall, but there were no state business records with Habibov listed as an owner. The kiosk had been removed from the floor as of Tuesday.
Both Saidakhmetov and Juraboev threatened attacks in the U.S. and planned to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group. According to the federal complaint, Habibov was mainly a source of planning and money.
On Tuesday, Habibov appeared in court dressed in jeans, Adidas sneakers and a black sweatshirt. His black hair was mussed and he had a beard.
His attorney, Maurice Grant, a federal public defender, declined comment outside the courtroom.
Inside, Habibov waived his right to hearings to confirm his identity and to a preliminary hearing in Jacksonville so that he could be transferred back to New York.
Habibov answered "yes" when asked if he understood all he was waiving, and through an Uzbek interpreter asked the court to ensure he would be able to make phone calls in New York. The judge said he would be.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
