Advertisement Man accused of terrorism arrested in Sacramento Sacramento arrest related to arrests in Houston, Milwaukee Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A Sacramento man was arrested Thursday on a terrorism-related charge, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento said.Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayab, 23, was arrested on a "federal charge of making a false statement involving international terrorism," the attorney's office said.“Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayab allegedly traveled overseas to fight alongside terrorist organizations and lied to U.S. authorities about his activities,” U.S. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin said in a statement.According to a criminal complaint, Al-Jayab lied to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about traveling to Syria from late 2013 to early 2014 and fighting with rebel groups that are designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S.“According to the allegations in the complaint, the defendant traveled to Syria to take up arms with terrorist organizations and concealed that conduct from immigration authorities,” California's U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said in a statement. “While he represented a potential safety threat, there is no indication that he planned any acts of terrorism in this country. I commend the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force for their dedicated work on this matter.”Al-Jayab was born in Iraq and emigrated to Syria. He then came to the U.S. as a refugee in October 2012, according to a criminal complaint.Court documents show that Al-Jayab lived in Arizona and Wisconsin between October 2012 and November 2013. During that time, he communicated with many people through social media his intent to return to Syria in order to fight for terrorist organizations. In those conversations, Al-Jayab talked about his experience with firearms and fighting against the regime in Syria.In November 2013, Al-Jayab flew to Turkey and then traveled to Syria, according to the criminal complaint. He allegedly posted on social media he was fighting with various terrorist organizations, including Ansar al-Islam, in Syria. Al-Jayab then returned to the U.S., settling in Sacramento, in January 2014, according to court documents.According to the complaint, when Al-Jayab was interviewed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in October 2014, he lied about being part of a rebel or militia group. He allegedly said he traveled to Turkey to visit his grandmother. The attorney's office said, "the complaint alleges that all of those answers were materially false."Al-Jayab was booked into Sacramento County Jail and is being held without bail. He is scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon.If convicted, Al-Jayab faces a maximum statutory penalty of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.A spokesperson for Gov. Jerry Brown's Office said it will not be commenting on the arrest in Sacramento at this time and all questions will be directed to the FBI.In a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Sacramento, the FBI said the Joint Terrorism Task Force played a big part in the investigation."The collaboration is stronger than ever and essential to protect our communities from harm,” Sacramento's FBI Special Agent in Charge Monica M. Miller said. “The public plays an equal, if not more important, role in protecting the community. We encourage those who encounter individuals who express an intent to do harm or claim allegiance to a terrorist group—whether in person or online—to voice their concerns to law enforcement.”Houston terrorism-related arrestThe arrest in Sacramento coincides with at least one arrest in Houston.Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, 24, was arrested for three counts of terrorism-related charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Houston said."I can confirm that there was a national security related arrest ," U.S. Attorney's Office in Houston spokesperson Angela Dodge said in a statement. "There is no current threat to public safety associated with this arrest."The attorney's office said in a statement Al Hardan was charged with one count each of "attempting to provide material support to ISIL, procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully and making false statements."Al Hardan , who was born in Iraq, came to the U.S. as a refugee in November 2009; he was granted legal permanent residence in August 2011.According to the indictment, Al Hardan tried to provide support and resources, including training, advice and his assistance to ISIL. He associated with ISIL members and sympathizers throughout 2014, the charges said. Al Hardan also allegedly lied on his application to become a naturalized U.S. citizen.Al Hardan also lied about receiving weapons training, the indictment said.If convicted, Al Hardan faces up to 20 years in prison for attempting to help terrorists, up to 25 years for unlawfully becoming a citizen and up to 8 years in prison for making false statements.Three arrests were also made in Milwaukee, but they are not connected to national security concerns. The arrests in Milwaukee stem from the arrests in Sacramento and Houston, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento said.No other information about the arrests was released.Stay with KCRA 3 for updates.