Ex-U.S. National Guardsman charged with trying to aid Islamic State

 A former member of the Army National Guard has been charged with trying to aid Islamic State militants by buying weapons for an attack on U.S. soil, authorities said on Tuesday.

The suspect, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 26, of Sterling, Virginia, was arrested by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on Sunday, the Justice Department said in a statement.

The previous day, Jalloh had bought and test-fired a 5.56mm Stag Arms assault rifle at a Virginia gun store. The weapon was rendered inoperable before he left the dealership with it, the statement said.

Jalloh had told an FBI informant in May that the best time for an attack was during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends on Tuesday, it said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John Anderson ordered Jalloh held pending a July 12 detention hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, a court document showed.

Jalloh, who was born in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, faces federal charges of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Jalloh's lawyer, Ashraf Nubani, who has a long record of defending suspects accused of ties with radical groups, could not be reached for comment. Continued...