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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Dead Terror Suspect’s|Alleged Crony Arrested

BOSTON (CN) - A Massachusetts man was charged Wednesday with obstructing a national security investigation of the man Boston police shot to death Tuesday in a parking lot.

Boston police shot and killed Usaamah Abdullah Rahim, 26, in a CVS parking lot Tuesday after stopping him for questioning. The FBI said it was investigating him for an alleged plot to kill law enforcement officers in coming days.

Boston police said Rahim approached officers with a knife after being told to stand down. He was shot three times.

Arrested Tuesday night was David Wright aka Dawud Sharif Wright aka Dawud Sharif Abdul Khaliq, 24, of Everett, Mass. He was charged Wednesday with conspiring with Rahim to obstruct a federal investigation by destroying evidence on Rahim's smartphone.

Wright had his initial appearance in Boston Federal Court on Wednesday, and will have a detention hearing on June 19.

"In intercepted calls between Wright and Rahim, the men discussed a knife attack on an unnamed individual, and suggested that the target was to be beheaded and have his/her head placed on his/her chest," the U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday in a statement.

The complaint affidavit says Wright and Rahim met with a third person on a Rhode Island beach on May 31 "to discuss the planned beheading," according to the U.S. attorney.

Citing another intercepted phone call, of 5 a.m. Tuesday, June 2, the U.S. attorney said, "instead of carrying on with his plan to behead the planned out-of-state target, Rahim declared that he was going to 'go after' the 'boys in blue,' here in Massachusetts, because, 'it's the easiest target.' Rather than discourage Rahim, Wright supported the plan, telling Rahim to prepare his will and to leave his possessions to a named individual. After discussing Rahim's plan to attack police officers in Massachusetts, Wright advised Rahim to destroy his phone and all of the evidence it contained to prevent 'CSI' at 'the scene' from obtaining incriminating information."

Citing the complaint affidavit, the U.S. attorney said Wright met with law enforcement after Rahim was killed and told them of his meeting on the Rhode Island beach, of Rahim's plan to behead someone, and his support for it.

If convicted, Wright could be sentenced to 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

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