New York man pleads guilty to attempting to join Pak-based LeT

An American national, who planned to travel overseas to join Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and become an "executioner" for the terrorist organisation, on Thursday pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the terror outfit.

Jesus Wilfredo Encarnacion, 30, of New York, who also went by the name 'Jihadistsoldgier' and 'Jihadinheart' pleaded guilty before US District Judge Ronnie Abrams to one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

He will be sentenced in April.

Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said Encarnacion plotted to travel abroad to join and train with the terrorist organization Lashkar e-Taiba, "infamous worldwide for their brutal jihadist murder of innocent civilians", and to carry out shootings, bombings, and beheadings on their behalf.

Federal prosecutors noted that LeT was responsible for multiple high-profile attacks, "including the infamous Mumbai attacks in November 2008."
He told the undercover agent that he was "ready to kill and die" and sought his assistance to help him travel abroad to serve as an "executioner for LeT, stating, "I want to execute. I want to behead. Shoot."