Uzbek native pleads guilty to Obama assassination plot | News

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- An Uzbek native pleaded guilty today in federal court to three charges involving his plan to kill President Barak Obama.

Ulugberk Kodirov, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly and willingly making a threat to take the president's life; one count of possessing a firearm as an illegal alien; and one count of providing the materials, in the form of weapons and explosives, to support terrorist activity.

Kodirov agreed to plead guilty to those three charges in exchange for the U.S. government dropping another five charges brought against him when he was indicted in July 2011. Some of the dropped charges included other weapons charges.

"Today, Ulugbek Kodirov became the first person to be convicted of providing material support to terrorist activity in this district," said Joyce White Vance, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. "Kodirov was apprehended during an undercover operation in which he was attempting to obtain weapons and explosives that he intended to use to kill the President of the United States. Effective action by law enforcement protected our community and potentially our country," she said.

According to the plea agreement Kodirov made with the U.S. government, he admitted that he had been in touch with someone he thought was a member of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

"Kodirov interpreted these conversations to mean that he should kill President Obama," Vance said. He also acknowledged that he had "lengthy conversations" in July 2011 with another individual about his desire to assassinate Preside Obama and his plan to do it.

"That individual traveled to Birmingham to meet Kodirov and introduced him to another individual, an undercover agent, from whom Kodirov intended to obtain weapons he would use to kill the president," Vance said.

When Kodirov, the individual and an undercover agent met at a motel in Leeds on July 13, the agent presented a variety of weapons to Kodirov and asked if he wanted to use any of the weapons to carry out his assassination plot. Kodirov selected a M15-A1 machine gun and hand grenade as his weapons of choice and left the meeting. Before he left the motel, agents arrested him.

Kodirov used a student visa to gain entry into the U.S. in June 2009. When he failed to enroll in a school, his visa was revoked on April 1, 2010. He was living at Oak Mountain Lodge in Pelham at the time of his arrest.

Several law enforcement agencies, including federal, state and local, worked together to locate and apprehend Kodirov.

"This case involved a variety of experience and expertise with ATF's local, state and federal law enforcement partners, including the Secret Service, ICE, FBI JTTF, Shelby County Sheriff's Office, Leeds Police Department and Pelham Police Department. The combined effort enabled a quick response and a very fluid investigation focused on keeping everyone safe, from Leeds, Alabama, potentially to the White House," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Glenn Anderson.

Kodirov now faces a maximum of 30 years in prison: 15 years for the terrorism charge, 5 years for the charge of threatening the president and 10 years for the charge of illegally possessing a firearm. There is also a maximum fine of $250,000 for each charge.

As part of the plea agreement, Kodirov will be sent back to his home country of Uzbekistan once he's released from prison.

His sentencing date has been set for May 17.

Copyright 2012 WBRC. All rights reserved.