Photos: Getty Images and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group
WASHINGTON - A Kenyan man who federal prosecutors say researched Delta flights and Atlanta’s tallest skyscraper as part of a 9/11-style terror plot has been sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison.
What we know:
Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 34, was sentenced after a jury convicted him in November 2024 of conspiring to support the terrorist group al-Shabaab and plotting to hijack a commercial aircraft and crash it into a building in the United States. Court records show Abdullah specifically researched flights linked to Atlanta and focused on the Bank of America Plaza, a 55-story downtown tower, during his attack planning.
Federal authorities said Abdullah was training to become a commercial airline pilot so he could carry out a mass-casualty attack on U.S. soil.
According to court documents and trial evidence, Abdullah joined al-Shabaab in 2015 and spent about a year in Somalia receiving military-style training, including firearms and explosives instruction. Senior operatives later recruited him for a larger international plot that involved training as a pilot so he could hijack a plane and crash it into a U.S. building.
Cholo Abdi Abdullah is shown during flight training in the Philippines, where prosecutors say he was preparing to become a commercial pilot as part of a foiled 9/11-style terror plot; flight instructors have been blurred in the images. (US Department of Justice)
From October 2017 through July 2019, Abdullah attended a flight school in the Philippines, completing hundreds of hours of classroom instruction, simulator work and flight training toward commercial pilot certification. Prosecutors said his tuition was financed by al-Shabaab, which raises money through extortion in Somalia.
At the time of his arrest in the Philippines in July 2019, Abdullah had completed nearly all the requirements for a commercial pilot license and was close to finishing the instrument rating needed to fly for a major airline.
After his arrest, Abdullah admitted to FBI agents that he was training to become a pilot on behalf of al-Shabaab so he could hijack a plane. Investigators said he researched cockpit doors, airline security, transit visas, and the feasibility of bringing a knife onto an aircraft. He also admitted he expected others to be killed or injured and believed he would die in the attack.
In January 2019, prosecutors said Abdullah intensified his planning after being briefed by his al-Shabaab handler about a deadly attack on a hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya. Two days later, he searched online for "Delta flights" and the "Tallest building in Atlanta," focusing on the Bank of America Plaza as a potential target.
The Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta’s tallest building (left), glows gold above the Midtown skyline as seen from the FOX 5 101 Marietta camera in downtown Atlanta. (FOX 5)
Throughout his flight training, Abdullah sent progress reports to his handler detailing his research, including observations from airline flights about cockpit door visibility and reviews of post-Sept. 11 hijacking attempts. In one report, he wrote that "for a very successful mission, we need a pilot in the cockpit (which means I should apply for the airlines)."
Abdullah was transferred to U.S. custody in December 2020. A federal jury convicted him of six counts, including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, aircraft piracy and acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries.
What they're saying:
"Cholo Abdi Abdullah was a highly trained al-Shabaab operative who was dedicated to recreating the horrific September 11 terrorist attacks on behalf of a vicious terrorist organization," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "Abdullah pursued his commercial pilot license at a flight school in the Philippines while conducting extensive attack planning on how to hijack a commercial plane and crash it into a building in America. As he later admitted to the FBI, he was fully prepared to die in his terrorist attack."
"Today, justice has been served," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. "Abdullah, an al-Shabaab terrorist, sought to replicate the most horrific terrorist attack in our history, as he prepared to hijack a commercial airliner to take down a building on U.S. soil. We thwarted this plot due to the relentless efforts of U.S. law enforcement and thereby likely saved many innocent lives. His life sentence is a powerful reminder that those who plot attacks against the United States will be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law."
"Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist and trained pilot Cholo Abdullah was justly punished today for his plotting to commit a 9/11-style terrorist attack," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. "This case serves as reminder individuals still wish to inflict violence upon our country in the name of the terrorism. The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force remains steadfast in its relentless determination to protect the American people from terrorists and their heinous desires."
Dig deeper:
The case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force with assistance from international and U.S. law enforcement agencies and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security and International Narcotics Unit.
What's next:
In addition to two life sentences, Abdullah was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.
The Source: The details in this article come from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with statements attributed to DOJ leadership, the U.S. attorney and the FBI. This story is being reported out of Atlanta.