U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani and FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams Jr. said Anas Said was arrested on Nov. 8 and pleaded not guilty during a Thursday hearing.
Cell phone video shows federal agents moving in, and as Said was being taken into custody, the U.S. attorney says he smashed his phone on the ground in an attempt to hide evidence.
According to court documents, authorities discovered multiple social media accounts linked to Said showing his support for ISIS and the violent attacks carried out in its name in October 2023 via messages and posts.
"He admitted to discussing how best to conduct an attack on local military recruiting centers. He admitted to wanting to use explosives to commit a mass killing here in Houston. He offered his home as a safe sanctuary to ISIS operatives. He bragged that he would commit a 9/11-style attack if he only had the resources," Williams said. "And he expressed a desire to join the U.S. military just so he could commit an attack once he was in their ranks."
The FBI said law enforcement searched his home, vehicle, and electronic devices, which revealed that multiple encrypted messaging application accounts detailed his efforts to create and disseminate propaganda on behalf of ISIS.
Investigators say that the messages allegedly glorified ISIS's violence and had records of Said's alleged attempts to materially support them through the creation of pro-ISIS images, videos, and flyers.
ABC13's Pooja Loodia was the only reporter at the hearing, where Said didn't show much emotion on his face but waved to his mother and brother, who were sitting in the courtroom.
Said was born in Houston, and he and his brother have been working at Pizza Patron in southwest Houston.
"He's my dough boy. Basically, he makes all the dough that runs the store. He was always on time, never late, and never missed a day," Joana Gonzalez, Said's former manager at Pizza Patron, said.
The facts of the case are a lot to take in for Gonzalez.
"I worked with him for months and never even had a hint of it or a thought, I guess. I never thought it would be something like that. He's actually a really nice person," Gonzalez said.
However, federal agents say they have tracked him and his online activities for at least six years.
"Fake news. Fake news, as usual," Said's mother told ABC13 while leaving the courtroom with her other son.
If convicted, Said faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Houstonian arrested for allegedly creating pro-ISIS propaganda