Overview

• The U.S. Attorney’s Office asked U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel to detain Abdiwahab Ahmed Mohamud before his Oct. 14 trial, alleging he tried to stop a cooperator from testifying.
• Prosecutors say Mohamud met twice with a cooperating defendant, called the person a “snitch,” criticized their plea, and secured a promise not to testify, after which the witness expressed reluctance to take the stand.
• The filing argues the conduct violates Mohamud’s pretrial release conditions barring contact with co-conspirators and undermines the integrity of the proceedings.
• Mohamud, 35, faces seven counts including wire fraud and money laundering tied to the alleged $250 million scheme; seven of his co-defendants have pleaded guilty as part of a broader prosecution of about 76 people, most resolved by plea.
• The detention request comes after other interference episodes in the case, including a February hallway approach to a witness that led to a defendant’s remand and a 2024 attempt to bribe a juror with $120,000 in cash.