The father of the man at the center of a terrorism investigation pleaded not guilty to providing false information to investigators during his appearance in a federal courtroom in Denver today.
Mohammed Zazi, 53, is charged with lying to the FBI on Sept. 16 during voluntary questioning about his son’s activities.
Mohammed Zazi is accused of denying he received a phone call from a person in New York warning him that police there were asking questions about 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi.
Federal prosecutors say they have evidence that Mohammed Zazi received the call.
A charge of making false statements in a matter involving international or domestic terrorism carries an eight-year prison term.
In New York, Najibullah Zazi has pleaded not guilty of conspiring to make a weapon of mass destruction.
The FBI believes that the younger Zazi got bombmaking training in Pakistan last year and that he had instructions on how to make them on his laptop.
Najibullah Zazi is accused of purchasing beauty-supply products that contain the kind of chemicals used in making hydrogen-peroxide bombs.
Agents followed Zazi from Colorado to New York City by car because they feared he may have planned an attack there on the anniversary of Sept. 11.
Najibullah Zazi has denied that he received bombmaking training or that he was planning any terrorist attack.
He is due back in the Brooklyn courtroom on Dec. 3 for a status hearing.
Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com
