FBI arrests 2 men on charges they offered to help terrorists

NEW YORK – The FBI arrested a Florida doctor and a New York martial arts expert on federal terrorism charges, saying they conspired to treat and train terrorists, prosecutors announced Sunday.

Rafiq Abdus Sabir, a Boca Raton physician, and Tarik Shah, a self-described martial arts expert in New York, were both charged in Manhattan federal court with conspiring to provide material support to al Qaeda, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.

New York police spokesman Paul Browne said Shah was arrested early Friday. Florida authorities said Sabir was arrested Saturday. Both are American citizens.

Prosecutors said Sabir agreed to treat jihadists, or holy warriors, in Saudi Arabia. Shah allegedly agreed to train them in hand-to-hand combat.

The one-count complaint details a two-year sting operation in which the men allegedly took an oath pledging their allegiance to al Qaeda. The government said the men engaged in multiple recorded conversations with a confidential source and an FBI agent posing as an al Qaeda operative.

Both men were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in federal court, Shah in New York and Sabir in Florida, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney David Kelley in Manhattan.

It was not immediately clear who would represent them in court.

Sabir was being held at the Palm Beach County Jail. It was not immediately known where Shah was being held.

If convicted, each man faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.