A federal judge on Tuesday set a tentative date of Aug. 30 for accused terrorist Mustafa Alowemer to plead guilty to plotting to blow up a North Side church.
If Mr. Alowemer decides not to plea, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Horan set a deadline of Aug. 23 to file motions in preparation for going to trial.
At a conference in U.S. District Court, during which Alowemer said nothing but listened to the proceedings through an interpreter, his public defender, Andrew Lipson, requested an extension of 14 days from today for his client to decide on what he wants to do.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo Song did not object but said any further delay past that point would be “unreasonable.”
Mr. Alowemer has been under indictment since 2019 and the government and defense have been in plea negotiations for months. Ms. Song said the U.S. attorney’s office made an initial plea offer in May and presented a formal offer in writing on July 14.
Mr. Lipson said his client met with him and another attorney in Judge Horan’s courtroom for most of the day on July 29 to discuss that offer, including the ramifications for his immigration status should he plead, considering that he is not a U.S. citizen.
He said the defense has calculated a guideline prison term of 6 1/2 to eight years based on the plea offer but said the government’s calculation would be higher.
Ms. Song did not discuss a potential sentence or any other aspect of the plea deal other than to say that the potential victims in the case, who are the members of the church, have a right under federal law to see the case proceed without undue delays.
The FBI said Mr. Alowemer, a Syrian refugee who was living in Northview Heights, planned to blow up Legacy International Worship Center in Perry South in the name of the Islamic State group. He is accused of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State and distribution of information related to explosives in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Agents said he plotted to use a backpack bomb to carry out the attack. His co-plotters turned out to be undercover FBI agents.
He remains in U.S. custody.
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