BY ASSOCIATED PRESS | AUGUST 11, 2018 AT 4:51 PM
UPDATED: AUGUST 12, 2018 AT 5:40 PM


TUCSON, Ariz. — Federal authorities say an Ethiopian man using a fake identity while living in Tucson was a member of a terrorist group.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday that Mohamed Abdirahman Osman was indicted in federal court on eight counts of making false statements to immigration authorities. Authorities allege his wife, Zeinab Abdirahman Mohamed, also hid his identity. She faces three charges.

An indictment filed this week shows that Osman used a fake Somalian passport to get to the U.S.

He told authorities he sustained injuries in a terrorist attack in Somalia but had actually been hurt while handling explosives, according to the indictment. Police believe Osman was a member of al-Shabab, a Somali militant group responsible for major attacks that have left hundreds killed.

Osman ad Mohamed applied for and were granted refugee status while living in China in 2014, according to a document from the Department of Justice.

The two applied for legal permanent residence status in 2015, according to the DOJ. The application was accused of containing “false, fictitious and fraudulent statements.”

It’s unclear if Osman and his wife had an attorney to comment.

http://ktar.com/story/2173009/tucson...gration-fraud/