Grand Jury indicts local air force veteran
Neptune native accused of attempting to join ISIS, arrested in Asbury Park
A Neptune native [shown in a Facebook photo at right] accused of attempting to join the terrorist group ISIS was indicted Tuesday in New York.
Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh, 47, with a known city address, was charged in U.S. District Court in New York Tuesday of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to the federal indictment.
He was arrested by the FBI in Asbury Park in January, according to a report in the New York Times.
Pugh is said to have served in the United States Air Force from 1986 to 1990, where he worked as an avionics instrument system specialist and received training in installation and maintenance of aircraft engines, navigation, and weapon systems, the indictment reads.
The former American Airlines employee, was stopped at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey on Jan. 10.
“When questioned by Turkish authorities, Pugh claimed that he was a pilot with the United States Special Forces and that he sought to enter Turkey for vacation,” the indictment reads.
—————————–
Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
