A Maryland man who authorities say traveled to Somalia and became a fighter for an extremist group has pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges in New York.
Prosecutors say 32-year-old Maalik Jones trained with and supported al-Shabab, an ultra-conservative Islamic militant group. The group seeks to run Somalia under a strict interpretation of Shariah law.
Jones was turned over to U.S. authorities by Somali authorities who arrested him in December 2015, as he allegedly tried to get on a boat to travel to Yemen.
According to court documents, he confessed to FBI agents that he fought Kenyan government soldiers in a battle until he was injured. The FBI said he admitted he was paid $100 monthly by al-Shabab while he worked for them from August 2011 to December 2015.
