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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WEDNESDAY - January 18, 2006

RALEIGH - United States Attorney Frank D. Whitney announced that in federal court yesterday TODD ALLEN ZORN, 36, of Sanford, North Carolina, pled guilty to two counts of making false statements to federal agents during the course of an investigation into suspected terrorist activity. ZORN was charged in a Criminal Information filed by the United States Attorney’s Office on November 10, 2005. Beginning in January, 2002, ZORN reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation that he was receiving telephone calls and e-mails from individuals seeking weapons and explosive materials. On August 6, 2002, ZORN told FBI agents them that he had received a telephone call from an individual named “Ahmad” who wanted to acquire 1000 pounds of high-grade explosive that could fit into a truck or a van. The next day, August 7, 2002, ZORN forwarded to the FBI an e-mail that he had purportedly received from an individual named “John Ahmad” stating that “the government is still looking to the sky for our wrath so the ground is the way to go.” In fact, ZORN had never received any such telephone calls, and he had written the e-mail himself. A sentencing date has not been set.

Investigation of the case was conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Eric D. Goulian handled the matter for the United States.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.