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The couple appeared before a Federal Judge in Anchorage today to enter their pleas.
Federal agents say the husband, 35-year-old Paul Gene Rockwood, Jr., aka "Bilal", created a hit list of people he wanted to see executed. Prosecutors tell CBS 11 News that no one from Alaska was on the list, however, the list may have included American servicemen.
According to court documents, Rockwood was living in Virginia when he converted to Islam around the beginning of 2002. Shortly after converting, he began following the teachings of cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who is known for promoting violent Jihad
Prosecutors say while studying of al-Awlaki's teachings, Rockwood developed a "personal conviction that it was his religious responsibility to exact revenge by death on anyone who desecrated Islam."
Prosecutors also say between 2002 and 2006, Rockwood began researching people to execute. Rockwood then moved to King Salmon in 2006, where court documents say he continued studying al-Awlaki's violent ideologies, "Constraints on the Path to Jihad" and "44 Ways to Jihad."
CBS 11 News has obtained a newsletter sent out by the National Weather Service, welcoming Rockwood as a Meteorological Technician at the Weather Service Office in King Salmon in 2006. The newsletter claimed Rockwood was moving to Alaska from
At that time, while continuing to develop his list of targets, Rockwood then started researching ways to murder people on his list by looking at components of explosives and ways to remotely detonate explosives, like cell phones.
Prosecutors say in late 2009, Rockwood started sharing his ideas about committing domestic terrorism, like mail bombs and killing people by shooting them in the head.
Court documents show that by early 2010, Rockwood had finalized his list of 15 "targets" to kill. In April, he gave the list to his wife, 36-year-old Nadia Rockwood, who then brought the list to Anchorage to give to a person that was alleged to share the same beliefs as Rockwood. At some point after Nadia handed over the list, FBI agents were able to intercept it. The person who Nadia met with is not named in court documents.
In May, FBI investigators interviewed Rockwood and showed him a copy of the list. They say that's when he denied creating the list and lied about the purpose of the list.
As part of his plea deal, Rockwood agreed to plea guilty in exchange for a sentence of eight years behind bars and three years of probation. A maximum $250,000 fine was waived after both sides
The court still has to agree with the sentence, and Rockwood's sentencing is set for August 23rd.
As for Rockwood's wife, Nadia, she also entered a guilty plea as part of an agreement, but her charges do not mention domestic terrorism.
In charging documents, prosecutors say Nadia admitted knowing her husband supported terrorist attacks against the United States Government and that he had a growing attachment to the ideologies professed by al-Awlaki.
Nadia told prosecutors that her husband would visit websites that claimed to be dedicated to identifying individuals, including American servicemen, who committed crimes of violence against Muslim civilians.
Nadia is charged with lying to prosecutors about the list, saying it she thought she was delivering a letter or a document to a person the couple knew in Anchorage. She denied knowing anything about it being a terror hit list.
If the court accepts the proposed sentence, she will spend the next five years on probation.
Nadia's sentencing is set for August 23rd as well.
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