Babylon Teen Cops Plea to Al Qaeda Connection

A Babylon Village man faces up to 30 years in prison for attempting to join the terrorist organization Al Qaeda, according to court documents unsealed today.

According to the United States Department of Justice Attorney's Office, Justin Kaliebe, an 18-year-old Babylon Village and Bay Shore resident and American citizen, was charged with and pleaded guilty to attempting to travel to Yemen to join the terrorist organization Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

A status conference was held June 26 in Central Islip's United States Courthouse to set a sentencing date of September 22 at 11 a.m.

Kaliebe faces up to 30 years in prison.

According to the court filings, Kaliebe attempted to travel to Yemen to join an off-shoot of Al Qaeda known as Ansar al-Sharia to wage "violent jihad."

Kaliebe reportedly told undercover officers he had been searching for a way to travel overseas and join a jihad for almost two years. He reportedly said, according to court filings, he wanted to fight the "Yemeni army" and "those who are fighting against the Sharia of Allah . . . whether it’s the U.S. drones or the, their puppets, in the Yemeni army . . . or, who knows, if American agents or whatever, U.S. Special Forces . . . who they got over there."

Kaliebe attempted to board a plane to Muscat, Oman, at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 21, but was arrested by members of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and the NYPD Intelligence Division.

"Kaliebe attempted to turn his back on his country and align with radical terrorists," said United States Attorney Loretta Lynch in a statement. "His goal was to travel overseas to wage violent jihad against Yemeni and U.S. forces opposed to alQaeda. Firmly committed to this plan, he found both inspiration and guidance in the online teachings of al-Qaeda leaders, including Osama Bin Laden."

According to Newsday, Kaliebe was registered in the Babylon School District during the 2012-2013 school year, but never attended classes. The district said in a statement that he was enrolled in the BOCES Alternative High School program and never entered any of the Babylon Schools.

He waived indictment and pled guilty to charges on February 8, 2013, and the pleas were accepted on March 5, 2013.