North Carolina terrorism allegations: How it went down

On Monday, more than 100 law enforcement officials, including four SWAT teams, stormed the home of U.S. native Daniel Patrick Boyd, 39, and Boyd's sons, Dylan Boyd, 22, also known as "Mohammed," and Zakariya Boyd, 20.

Daniel Boyd had fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan.

Authorities are not saying how they learned of the alleged conspiracy, but they have been watching Daniel Boyd for three years.

Now, authorities are searching for an eighth alleged member of a North Carolina group that authorities say plotted "violent jihad" overseas, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Along with Boyd’s and his sons, the other members of the group include Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, also a U.S.-born citizen; Hysen Sherifi, identified as a native of Kosovo who is a legal permanent resident of the United States; and Hiyad Yaghi and Anes Subasic, both naturalized U.S. citizens.

All seven are accused of engaging in weapons training and military tactics in North Carolina, the Justice Department said.

According to an indictment released Monday, the eighth suspect, described as a North Carolina resident, traveled to Pakistan in October 2008 to "engage in violent jihad." It offered no other information.

Seven other men have been arrested on charges of supporting terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder abroad.

If convicted, the men could face life in prison. They are due to appear back in court tomorrow.

The small town of Willow Spring, North Carolina, where the men live, doesn’t seem like a place you’d expect to find terrorists. The Boyd family’s neighbors are shocked to hear about the charges. People describe Daniel Boyd as a quiet, family-oriented man.

One neighbor even said, “If he’s a terrorist, he’s the nicest terrorist I’ve ever met in my life.”

Authorities believe that Boyd’s terrorism roots run deep, and that he trained in terrorist camps in Pakistan. Boyd’s wife however, has asked the public to suspend judgment and maintains her family’s innocence.

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Posted by: TV/Web producer Kate Taylor
Filed under: Behind the Scenes