A Somali man who was extradited from the Netherlands to face federal charges of providing support to a terrorist group and conspiring to kill people outside the United States pleaded not guilty Thursday in Minneapolis and was ordered detained pending trial.
Muhamed Said Omar, 45, had been scheduled to enter a plea in late August, but the hearing was delayed after he collapsed in court in a panic attack. Two of his brothers testified Thursday that they'd make sure he attends his court hearings.
But a federal prosecutor described Omar as a flight risk, citing his worldwide travels, possession of fake IDs, and a series of lies he told to authorities. The indictment demonstrates that Omar is a potential threat to the community, he added.
Chief U.S. District Judge Michael Davis ordered Omar held without bail and said his trial date would be set later.
DAN BROWNING
