Enrique Marquez, a longtime friend of the man behind the terror attack in San Bernardino, California, is not accused of direct involvement in that shooting.
But, if convicted, he could still be looking at a lot of years in prison.
Marquez, 24, was charged Thursday with conspiring to provide material support to terrorism, making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of firearms, and immigration fraud.
He is suspected of buying rifles used by his friend, Syed Rizwan Farook, and Farook’s wife, Tashfeen Malik, in the December 2 mass shooting that left 14 people dead in the Southern California city.
He’s also accused of entering a fake marriage with a member of Farook’s family, and of plotting attacks, which never took place, on a college and freeway.
Marquez made an initial appearance Thursday. His lawyer, Young Kim, declined to comment on the case as he left court.
Here’s a closer look at the charges Marquez is facing:
Conspiring to provide material support to terrorists
Marquez moved to Riverside, California, where he met Farook, approximately 10 years ago. Farook introduced his new neighbor to Islam and, later, to “radical Islamic ideology,” according to the criminal complaint against Marquez.
Starting in 2011, Farook and Marquez are alleged to have begun planning to commit terrorist acts. Specifically, the complaint says, they talked about using firearms and explosives to attack Riverside Community College and State Route 91.
“Marquez admitted that the attacks were designed to maximize the number of casualties that could be inflicted,” reads the complaint.
At the college, where both men had been students, they allegedly discussed attacking the library or cafeteria. At State Route 91, they are said to have planned to attack during rush-hour, toss pipe bombs into traffic and then open fire on stopped vehicles.
Marquez and Farook did more than talk.
The pair took steps to carry out their plans, according to the complaint, by purchasing guns, ammunition and other gear. They are also said to have gone to local firing ranges to practice.
But they lost momentum. According to the complaint, which cited Marquez, their contact started to decline after 2012, and they stopped planning attacks together.
If convicted on this charge, Marquez could face a maximum of 15 years behind bars.
Making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of firearms
Marquez bought firearms from local stores on two occasions in late 2011 and early 2012. Although he identified himself as the buyer at the time, he actually bought the rifles for Farook as part of their plans to attack the college and the freeway, according to the complaint.
It states that the two of them decided Marquez should be the one to acquire the firearms because “he would draw less attention to their plans.”
“Specifically, Marquez admitted that he would purchase the firearms because his appearance was Caucasian, while Farook looked Middle Eastern,” reads the complaint.
In or around 2012, Marquez is also accused of buying explosive materials for the purpose of making something with Farook for a future attack.
If convicted on this charge, Marquez could face a maximum of 10 years behind bars.
Fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents
Marquez is also accused of entering into a fake marriage in November 2014 with a woman who was the sister of the wife of Farook’s brother.
For doing so, he was paid $200 a month, according to the complaint.
If convicted on this charge, Marquez could face a maximum of 10 years behind bars.
