SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A friend of accused San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook was charged Thursday with conspiracy for allegedly acquiring and selling two rifles that police say were used in the Southern California rampage earlier this month.
Enrique Marquez, Jr., who previously lived next door to Farook, faces a federal charge of conspiring to lend material support to terrorists. He also faces a count of making false statements to authorities about the firearms and an unrelated count of immigration fraud in connection to his marriage to a Russian national.
The 37-page criminal complaint, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Thursday, say Marquez colluded to provide weapons, explosives and even personnel.
Marquez, 24, previously admitted that in 2012 he purchased two semiautomatic AR-15 assault rifles -- weapons that investigators say were used by Farook and his Pakistani wife, Tashfeen Malik, to kill 14 people during a shooting rampage at a San Bernardino social services center on Dec. 2.
Officials say Marquez bought the weapons as a favor to Farook, who said he didn't want to be on a gun registry.
While the conspiracy charge doesn't specifically accuse Marquez of having any advanced knowledge of the San Bernardino plot, FBI investigators said he and Farook did acquire the firearms with the intent of carrying out some type of violent attack -- which they allegedly began discussing in 2011.
"Mr. Marquez conspired with Mr. Farook to commit vicious attacks," U.S. Atty. Eileen M. Decker said. "His prior purchase of the firearms and ongoing failure to warn authorities about Farook's intent to commit mass murder had fatal consequences."
One potential terror plot the men discussed, officials said, involved nearby Riverside City College and another would take place on a busy Southern California freeway during rush hour, the Los Angeles Times reported.
During questioning, federal authorities said Marquez admitted to discussing the plots and added great detail in how they would be carried out.
Officials have said Marquez is cooperating with investigators. If convicted, Marquez faces up to 35 years in federal prison.
A licensed dealer is required for any firearm transfer and authorities have found no documents showing Marquez legally passed on the weapons.
The court documents filed Thursday also added new public details to the San Bernardino attack.
Prior to the shooting, investigators say Farook attended a company holiday party at the Inland Regional Center. After abut 90 minutes, he placed an item on a table in a conference room and left. That item was later found to be an improvised explosive device. The affidavit says Farook and his wife returned about 20 minutes later and started shooting.
Authorities said Marquez admitted that he and Farook had reviewed instructions how to make IEDs from an al Qaeda militant magazine.
Several people who knew Marquez personally have said he was known for his shy and friendly demeanor -- a claim supported, incidentally, by an unrelated "feel good" news report by KTLA-TV in April that features an interview with a seemingly friendly and mild-mannered Marquez. In the report, Marquez talks about his part in saving a friend's dog who had been bitten by a rattlesnake.
"Enrique wasn't a violent kid. He wasn't a tough guy ...That's what's spooky about it," said Jerry Morgan, a bar manager who has known Marquez for years.
"People felt comfortable around him."
