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Man arrested at Bozeman shooting range denies lying to FBI about terrorism ties

Posted at 4:33 PM, May 06, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-06 18:33:54-04
Courtesy: Missoula County Sheriff’s Office

The man who was arrested in April at a Bozeman shooting range for making false statements involving international terrorism denies the charges.

Fabjan Alameti, 21, of New York, pleaded not guilty to a four-count indictment charging him with three counts of false statements to a federal officer in a matter involving terrorism and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.

He had recently traveled to Bozeman from New York.

Alameti was ordered to be detained pending further proceedings. A detention hearing is set for May 15.

If convicted of the most serious crime, Alameti faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release, according to the Department of Justice.

Alameti has been in custody since April 3, 2019 when FBI agents arrested him at a shooting range in Bozeman after he allegedly took possession of an M1A firearm he had rented.

(April 4, 2019) A man who was arrested at a Bozeman shooting range Wednesday has been charged with making false statements involving international terrorism.

Fabjan Alameti, 21, recently traveled to Montana from New York. He made an initial appearance on a criminal complaint Thursday.

The complaint charges Alameti with possession of a firearm by unlawful user of a controlled substance and with making false statements involving international terrorism, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Court documents filed in the case said law enforcement officers arrested Alameti without incident at a Bozeman shooting range.

Alameti was taken into custody after he allegedly took possession of an M1A firearm he had rented, according to the DOJ.

“Fabjan Alameti recently moved to Bozeman from another state,” stated Paul Haertel, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office. “We want to make it absolutely clear that Mr. Alameti has no known ties to Montana or any affiliation with the Muslim community in Bozeman.”

The press release states the complaint is merely an accusation and Alameti is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

If convicted of the most serious crime, Alameti faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Judge Lynch ordered Alameti be detained. Alameti reserved his right to request a detention hearing at later date, according to the DOJ.