CNN
(CNN) — A Nevada man is accused of providing support to terrorism groups in India and Pakistan, authorities said Wednesday.
Balwinder Singh, 39, is charged with one count of conspiracy to murder, kidnap, and maim persons in a foreign country; one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists; one count of making a false statement on an immigration document; two counts of use of an immigration document procured by fraud; and one count of unlawful production of an identification document.
He was arrested in Reno on Tuesday.
Singh is accused of belonging to two terrorist organizations — Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) — whose members seek to create an independent Sikh state in the Punjab region of India, read the indictment.
“After an extensive investigation, the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) of Northern Nevada has disrupted an individual’s involvement in facilitation activities in support of a foreign terrorist organization, targeting an ally of the United States,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Laura A. Bucheit.
“We will continue to work with our international partners to prevent acts of terrorism on U.S. soil or, as in this case, on that of an ally.”
According to the indictment, Singh was a citizen of India and fled to the United States where he claimed asylum. He eventually obtained a permanent resident card.
He is accused of using a false identity and obtaining false documents in the United States so that he could travel to India without being apprehended by authorities there.
Singh sent money from the United States to co-conspirators in India, the indictment read. He is also accused of providing advice on how to carry out acts of terrorism and traveling to Pakistan, India and other countries to meet with co-conspirators.
If convicted, Singh faces up to life in prison.
He is scheduled to appear in court Friday.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
