'Man of peace' convicted of terrorism

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Pakistani Taliban patrol in their stronghold of Shawal in Pakistani tribal region of South Waziristan. Associated Press/Photo by Ishtiaq Mahsud

An elderly Muslim cleric serving in Miami was convicted Monday of funneling thousands of dollars to the Pakistani Taliban, a terror organization blamed for suicide bombings and other deadly attacks against both Americans and Pakistanis.

After a two-month trial, the jury found Hafiz Khan, 77, guilty of all four charges against him: two counts of conspiracy and two counts of providing material to support terrorists.

"Despite being an imam, or spiritual leader, Hafiz Khan was by no means a man of peace," said U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer, whose office prosecuted the case. "Instead, he acted with others to support terrorists to further acts of murder, kidnapping and maiming."

Each charge carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence. U.S. District Judge Robert Scola set sentencing for May 30.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Whitney Williams

Whitney works on WORLD’s development team and has spent more than a decade with the organization in various roles. She earned a journalism degree from Baylor University and resides in Texas with her husband and three sons.