8 Years for Woman Who Aided Foreign Terrorists

A San Diego woman was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for conspiring to provide support for a foreign terrorist organization, the U.S. Attorney's office announced Tuesday.

Nima Yusuf, 25, is guilty of sending nearly $1,500 to four Somalian men fighting for al-Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, according to U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. 

Court documents also show that Yusuf tried to recruit a local man to fight for the organization. 

The documents state that on one occasion, when Yusuf heard from one of the men she was helping that a "martyrdom operation" was successful, she praised God. 

It is illegal to provide financial support to foreign terrorist organizations, Duffy said in a statement. This particular organization is believed to be linked to suicide bombings and other acts of terror in Somalia and elsewhere. 

The men she reportedly helped are being charged separately. 

Yusuf was arrested in 2010 and pleaded guilty to the allegations in December 2011. She has been in custody since her arrest. The case was investigated by the San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI. 

Yusuf's prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. 

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