(The Center Square) – Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, the 51-year-old Richland man and Department of Energy employee accused of attempting to provide material support to the Houthis, made his first federal court appearance Friday.
Ellaboudy made his first appearance before a federal judge in downtown Richland on Friday morning following his arrest Thursday by the FBI. He faces a federal charge of attempting to provide material support or resources to the Houthis, which the U.S. government designates as a foreign terrorist organization.
The government filed a motion Friday seeking to have Ellaboudy detained. The court scheduled a detention hearing for Oct. 6 at 11 a.m. in Richland.
A status hearing was scheduled for Oct. 8 at 11 a.m., followed by a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 16 at 11 a.m., according to court records reported Friday.
The detention hearing will determine whether Ellaboudy remains in custody while the federal case proceeds, while the preliminary hearing will address whether there is probable cause to continue the case based on the allegations in the criminal complaint.
The Justice Department said in court documents that Ellaboudy used his background as an electrical engineer to provide technical assistance involving communications equipment, solar power systems and other equipment that investigators say was intended for use by the Houthis.
According to the criminal complaint, Ellaboudy also purchased precursor chemicals and other materials investigators say can be used to construct homemade explosives, along with components used in drones and remotely operated aerial systems.
Pete Serrano, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington said this case demonstrated a lot of hard work and coordination and that he was proud of the work by federal investigators and prosecutors.
“Very proud of the work done by the FBI and my team,” Serrano told The Center Square.
Ellaboudy faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
An assistant for Ellaboudy’s attorney, Craig Donald Webster, said Webster was not immediately available for comment on Friday.
The Center Square reached out to several numbers publicly listed for Ellaboudy on Thursday, but were unable to reach anyone for comment.