N.C. Man Accused of Terrorist Support Had Suburban Upbringing
One of the seven men charged yesterday with conspiring to support terrorists overseas is a U.S. citizen with an all-American background.
Daniel Patrick Boyd, 39, is a former high-school football player and the son of a Marine, the Washington Post reports. A Muslim convert, Boyd is accused along with his sons Zakariya and Dylan of stockpiling weapons and traveling abroad to support terrorist movements, according to the New York Times.
“Boyd spent his early years in the Washington suburbs living a typical American childhood,” the Post says. “Recently, he blended with his family into a picturesque suburb of Raleigh, N.C., where he gardened and was friendly with his neighbors.”
The indictment says Boyd had helped support fighters trying to oust the Soviet-backed regime in Afghanistan from 1989 to 1992, according to the Times. In Pakistan, Boyd was charged with bank robbery and sentenced to have his right hand and left foot cut off. The convictions were later overturned.
Boyd and his wife, Sabrina, were high school sweethearts, according to the stories. She issued a statement pointing out that the fight against the Soviets had the backing of the U.S. government.
“The charges have not been substantiated,” Sabrina Boyd said. “We are an ordinary family, and we have the right to justice, and we believe justice will prevail. We are decent people who care about other human beings.”
