FBI offers $50,000 reward for Ahmad Abousamra wanted on terrorism charges

(LAT) The FBI is offering a reward up to $50,000 and using a variety of social media platforms in a quest for information it hopes will lead to the arrest of a Massachusetts man charged with helping international terrorists.

Being sought is Ahmad Abousamra, a dual U.S. and Syrian citizen, who authorities believe may be living in Aleppo, Syria, with at least one child, a daughter, and an extended family. He uses several aliases.

Abousamra, 31, fled the United States in 2006, shortly after being interviewed by the FBI. He was indicted in 2009, charged with conspiracy to provide material support or resources to Al Qaeda. He was accused of taking several trips to Pakistan and Yemen in 2002 and 2004 to seek jihad training. He also traveled to Iraq with the hope of joining forces fighting against Americans overseas, the FBI said.

Abousamra’s alleged co-conspirator, Tarek Mehanna, was convicted of terrorism charges by a federal jury in December 2011 and sentenced last April to 17.5 years in prison.

“Both men were self-radicalized and used the Internet to educate themselves,” said Special Agent Heidi Williams, a member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Boston who has been working the case since 2006.

“They came to it independently, but once they found each other, they encouraged each other’s beliefs,” Williams said in a prepared statement.

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