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Uzbek terror suspect pleads not guilty in Idaho

Posted at 8:35 PM, May 17, 2013
and last updated 2013-05-18 00:47:49-04

(CNN) — A 30-year-old Uzbek national who has been arrested on federal terrorism charges pleaded not guilty in an initial appearance in a Boise, Idaho, court Friday.

A hearing on bail for Fazliddin Kurbanov, 30, is scheduled for Tuesday, and the trial is set for July 2.

A grand jury in Boise returned a three-court indictment charging Kurbanov, with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and one count of possessing an unregistered destructive device.

A grand jury in Salt Lake City, Utah, returned a separate indictment charging him with one count of distribution of information relating to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction.

Kurbanov, who is in the United States legally, was arrested Thursday in Boise.

“One of our highest priorities is disrupting potential acts of terrorism. The coordinated investigation, arrest, and indictments in this case demonstrate the commitment of all involved to do just that,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah David B. Barlow said in a statement announcing the arrest.

It was not immediately clear whether Kurbanov had retained counsel.

According to the Idaho indictment, he is alleged to have knowingly conspired with others to support to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, an American-designated foreign terrorist organization, between August and May.

He is accused of having provided support, believing that it was to be used in an “offense involving the use of a weapon of mass destruction,” the statement said.

In Utah, he is alleged to have taught and demonstrated how to make bombs, by showing Internet videos and conducting instructional shopping trips.