Five plead not guilty in alleged jihad plot

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NEW BERN, N.C., Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Five North Carolina men Monday pleaded not guilty to being part of a local terrorism ring that planned jihad overseas.

Two other defendants have pleaded guilty, The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported.

Daniel Patrick Boyd, described as the ringleader of the group, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons in a foreign country. His youngest son, Zakariya Boyd, 22, pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. Both are awaiting sentencing.

Pleading not guilty in federal court were Dylan Boyd, 23, Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, 23, Ziyad Yaghi, 22, Hysen Sherifi, 26, and Anes Subasic, 34. They are set to go on trial in New Bern in mid-September on multiple felony charges, the newspaper said.

Sherifi also is charged in an alleged planned attack on the Marine base at Quantico, Va.

Chief U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan ruled earlier Subasic would be tried separately because he plans to represent himself, the newspaper said.

An eighth suspect is believed to be in Pakistan, but has never been arrested, The News & Observer said. A ninth was arrested in Kosovo, but the United States has no extradition agreement with that country.