MIAMI (WSVN) - A South Florida man who allegedly threatened to use weapons of mass destruction against the deans of two colleges appeared before a judge.
Salman Rashid, 23, had hoped to be released from jail until his trial, but on Wednesday morning, it took all of two minutes for the presiding judge to decide to deny him bond.
7News cameras captured family members of Rashid leaving the courthouse after his hearing.
“No, no, no. It’s not true,” said a family member when asked whether she knew Rashid thought he was communicating with ISIS.
When pressed about the severity of the suspect’s charges, the family member replied, “No, no, I don’t know yet. This is not confirmed.”
According to court documents, undercover FBI agents halted Rashid’s alleged terror plot by posing as members of ISIS.
Officials said the suspect had reached out to the agents to carry out attacks on the deans of Miami-Dade and Broward Colleges.
Court documents state, “Ultimately, Rashid chose two targets — the deans of two local colleges from which Rashid had been suspended or expelled — and asked that the explosive devices to be placed by the (undercover) be as big as possible.”
Rashid has been charged with solicitation to commit a crime of violence.
His family has declined to comment further.
If convicted, Rashid could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
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