MANHATTAN (CN) - Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, a 56-year-old man from Ardsley, N.Y., pleaded guilty this morning to financing terrorism and conspiring to commit wire fraud, federal prosecutors said. Alishtari "facilitated the transfer of $152,000, with the understanding that the money would be used to finance training for terrorists," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in announcing the plea.
Alishtari "agreed to discreetly transfer these funds for an undercover officer, believing that the money was going to be used to purchase night vision goggles and other equipment for a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan" in 2006, the U.S. Attorney said in a statement.
Alishtari also pleaded guilty to "stealing millions of dollars" from a fraudulent investment program he ran called the Flat Electronic Data Interchange. He faces up to 20 years in prison for financing terrorism and 5 years for wire fraud. A sentencing date has not been announced.
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