COMPLETE COVERAGE | FRONT LINES | AMERICA AT HOME | INTERACTIVES »

Alleged associate of suspected hijacker indicted

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An Arizona resident of Middle Eastern descent was indicted Friday on charges of lying to the FBI about his alleged relationship with Hani Hanjour, whom authorities believe was the terrorist pilot who crashed an American Airlines flight into the Pentagon September 11.

Faisal Michael Al Salmi of Tempe, Arizona was indicted by a federal grand jury in Phoenix for repeatedly denying any association with Hanjour.

CNN.COM SPECIAL REPORT  CNN NewsPass Video  Agencies reportedly got hijack tips in 1998  MORE STORIES Intelligence intercept led to Buffalo suspects Report cites warnings before 9/11  EXTRA INFORMATION Timeline: Who Knew What and When? Interactive: Terror Investigation Terror Warnings System Most wanted terrorists What looks suspicious? In-Depth: America Remembers In-Depth: Terror on Tape In-Depth: How prepared is your city?  RESOURCES On the Scene: Barbara Starr: Al Qaeda hunt expands? On the Scene: Peter Bergen: Getting al Qaeda to talk

The indictment was announced Friday by Attorney General John Ashcroft at a Washington news conference.

"The Department of Justice will bring the full weight of the law upon those who try to impede or hinder the investigation of the terrorist acts of September 11," Ashcroft said.

Al Salmi is in federal custody in New York. He is expected to be returned to Arizona to face the charges, the Justice Department said. Officials would not confirm that Al Salmi had been held on a material witness warrant, though other suspects arrested in the investigation and subsequently flown to New York for questioning were held as material witnesses.

According to Count One of the two-count indictment, Al-Salmi denied during an FBI interview that he had any knowledge or association with Hanjour, even though investigators discovered that Al Salmi had spoken with Hanjour on several occasions. The indictment says the two had spoken on at least one occasion of their mutual interest in aviation.

Count Two of the indictment alleges that Al Salmi made false statements to the FBI about another acquaintance of Hanjour. Al Salmi allegedly told investigators he had not spoken with Rayed Mohammed Abdullah about an FBI interview in which Abdullah had participated. The indictment said that, in the interview, Abdullah had described his limited association with Hanjour.

If Al Salmi is convicted on both counts he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.