Eleven Members/Associates of Ummah Charged with Federal Violations One Subject Fatally Shot During Arrest

United States Attorney Terrence Berg, Eastern District of Michigan, Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge (SAC), Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI), Detroit, Michigan, and Police Chief Warren Evans, Detroit Police Department (DPD), Detroit, Michigan announced a federal complaint was unsealed today charging Luqman Ameen Abdullah, a.k.a.Christopher Thomas, and 10 others with conspiracy to commit several federal crimes, including theft from interstate shipments, mail fraud to obtain the proceeds of arson, illegal possession and sale of firearms, and tampering with motor vehicle identification numbers. The eleven defendants are members of a group that is alleged to have engaged in violent activity over a period of many years, and known to be armed.

In light of the information that the charged individuals were believed to be armed and dangerous, special safeguards were employed by law enforcement to secure the arrests without confrontation. During the arrests today, the suspects were ordered to surrender. At one location, four suspects surrendered and were arrested without incident. Luqman Ameen Abdullah did not surrender and fired his weapon. An exchange of gun fire followed and Abdullah was killed. An FBI canine was also killed during the exchange.

Abdullah was the leader of part of a group which calls themselves Ummah (“the brotherhood”), a group of mostly African-American converts to Islam, which seeks to establish a separate Sharia-law governed state within the United States. The Ummah is ruled by Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, formerly known as H. Rapp Brown, who is serving a state sentence in USP Florence, CO, ADMAX, for the murder of two police officers in Georgia. As detailed in the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint that was unsealed today, Abdullah has espoused the use of violence against law enforcement, and has trained members of his group in use of firearms and martial arts in anticipation of some type of action against the government. Abdullah and other members of this group were known to carry firearms and other weapons.

The 11 individuals charged include:

Luqman Abdullah (aka Christopher Thomas), age 53, of Detroit, Michigan. Abdullah is charged with:

* 18 U.S.C. 371 Conspiracy to Commit Federal Crimes,
* 18 U.S.C. Sale or Receipt of Stolen Goods Transported in Interstate Commerce,
* 18 U.S.C. 922(d) Providing Firearms or Ammunition to a Person Known to be a Convicted Felon,
* 18 U.S.C. 931 Possession of Body Armor by a Person Convicted of a Violent Felony,
* 18 U.S.C. 551 altering or Removing Motor Vehicle Identification Numbers.

Mohammad Abdul Salaam (aka Gregory Stone), age 45, of Detroit, Michigan. Salaam is charged with:

* 18 U.S.C. 371 Conspiracy to Commit Federal Crimes,
* 18 U.S.C. Sale or Receipt of Stolen Goods Transported in Interstate Commerce.

Abdullah Beard (aka Detric Lamont Driver), age 37, of Detroit, Michigan. Beard is charged with:

* 18 U.S.C. 371 Conspiracy to Commit Federal Crimes.

Abdul Saboor (aka Dwayne Edward Davis), age 37, of Detroit, Michigan. Saboor is charged with:

* 18 U.S.C. 371 Conspiracy to Commit Federal Crimes.

Mujahid Carswell (aka Mujahid Abdullah), age 30, of Detroit, Michigan and Ontario, Canada. Carswell is charged with:

* 18 U.S.C. 371 Conspiracy to Commit Federal Crimes.

Adam Ibraheem, age 38, of Detroit, Michigan. Ibraheem is charged with:

* 18 U.S.C. 371 Conspiracy to Commit Federal Crimes.

Gary Laverne Porter (aka Mujahid LNU), age 59 of Detroit, Michigan. Porter is charged with:

* 18 U.S.C. 371 Conspiracy to Commit Federal Crimes,
* 18 U.S.C. 922(g) Possession of Firearms or Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.

Ali Abdul Raqib, age 57, of Detroit, Michigan. Raqib is charged with:

* 18 U.S.C. 371 Conspiracy to Commit Federal Crimes.

Mohammad Alsahi (aka Mohammad Palestine), age 33, of Ontario, Canada. Alsahi is charged with:

* 18 U.S.C. 371 Conspiracy to Commit Federal Crimes.

Yassir Ali Khan, age 30, of Ontario, Canada and Warren, Michigan. Khan is charged with:

* 18 U.S.C. 371 Conspiracy to Commit Federal Crimes.

Mohammad Abdul Bassir (aka Frankin D. Roosevelt Williams, age 50 , of Ojibway Correctional Facility. Bassir is charged with:

* 18 U.S.C. 371 Conspiracy to Commit Federal Crimes,
* 18 U.S.C. Sale or Receipt of Stolen Goods Transported in Interstate Commerce,
* 18 U.S.C. 1341 Mail Fraud
* 18 U.S.C. 922(d) Providing Firearms or Ammunition to a Person Known to be a Convicted Felon,
* 18 U.S.C. 922(g) Possession of Firearms or Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.
* 18 U.S.C. 551 Altering or Removing Motor Vehicle Identification Numbers.

Additionally, two federal search warrants were executed at 4467 Tireman Avenue, Detroit Michigan, and 9278 Genessee Street, Detroit, Michigan. The affidavits for these search warrants are sealed.

This case was jointly worked by the FBI, DPD, JTTF, and the United States Attorney’s Office – Eastern District of Michigan. We would like to express our appreciation to the Detroit Public Schools, Dearborn Police Department, Madison Heights Police and Fire Departments, and the members of JTTF for their assistance in this matter.

At the time of this release, Mujahid Carswell, Mohammad Alsahi and Yassir Ali Khan were still at large. Anyone with information regarding the location of these individuals should contact the FBI at (313) 965-2323.

A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.

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