WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Bangladeshi citizen who lives in Maryland has been charged with plotting to kill a member of the U.S. military on behalf of Islamic State, the U.S. Justice Department said on Monday.
Nelash Mohamed Das, 24, of Hyattsville made an initial appearance in court on Monday and was ordered detained until a hearing on Thursday, the department said in a news release.
In July, Das told a confidential informant working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation that he wanted to kill a service member, according to the news release.
The informant provided Das with false information about a member of the military and led him to believe Islamic State would pay about $80,000 to conduct the attack, the department said.
Das was taken into custody by FBI agents on Sept. 30 as he and the informant arrived at the residence of the target to carry out the attack, the news release said.
Das, who was admitted to the United States in 1995 and is a legal permanent resident, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted, the department said.
(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Alistair Bell)
