Minn. judge orders terror suspect held

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MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- A federal judge has ordered a Minnesota school volunteer jailed until he is sentenced for supporting Somali terrorists.

Omer Abdi Mohamed, 27, of Minneapolis, a volunteer youth counselor of sorts at Essential Learning of Minnesota Institute, was accused of courting young men to return to their native Somalia to fight for the Muslim extremist group al-Shabaab.

Mohamed's supporters packed the courtroom saying he'd done nothing wrong and served as a respected mentor for children in Minnesota's Somali community.

U.S. District Chief Judge Michael Davis saw it differently and ordered Mohamed held for violating bail terms. Mohamed's position at the school changed and he got a license to start a consulting business, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Wednesday. Mohamed was to notify officials if his employment status changed.

Mohamed's lawyer said because the position at the school is unpaid, it didn't violate the terms of his release.

Federal agents said Mohamed was a key figure and recruiter in a group dubbed the "travelers" -- a group of Minnesota Muslims of Somali descent who made passage back to the country to join al-Shabaab's terror network.