A Philadelphia teenager, who authorities say was planning to travel overseas to make bombs for terrorist organizations, will be tried as an adult. The District Attorney's office revealed more details of the allegations against the now 18-year-old Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman, who was arrested in August 2023. His bail has been set at $5 million.
Prosecutors claim that Abdul-Rahman conducted tests on homemade bombs near his family's home and was close to being able to detonate devices with a blast radius of several hundred yards. They also allege that he showed interest in targeting events like the Philadelphia Pride parade and critical infrastructure sites such as power plants and military bases.
Authorities began investigating Abdul-Rahman after intercepting electronic communications between him and terrorist groups in Syria. The communications indicated his desire to become a bombmaker for groups identified as Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad (KTJ) and Hay'at Tahrir al Sham (HTS), both designated as global terrorist organizations by the US State Department.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Abdul-Rahman was purchasing military and tactical gear, as well as materials for making homemade bombs. He now faces charges including possessing weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy, arson, and causing or risking a catastrophe.
Prosecutors argued for Abdul-Rahman's case to be moved to adult court due to the seriousness of the charges and the inadequacy of the juvenile system to provide appropriate consequences or rehabilitation.
