Ryan Anderson
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Ryan G. Anderson (born 1978), a Specialist (E-4) in the 81st Armor Brigade of the United States Army National Guard, was convicted in 2004 of trying, apparently unsuccessfully, to provide information to al-Qaida. Anderson was a tank crew member, training with his unit at Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Washington.
Anderson, from Everett, Washington, converted to Islam some time after 1998. He was arrested 12 February 2004 after a joint investigation by the United States Army, United States Justice Department, and FBI monitored him logging onto extremist Internet chat rooms, trying to get in touch with al-Qaida operatives, and offering the organization information on United States military capabilities and weaponry. Shortly before his arrest, Anderson was recorded on video giving tactical information on methods of killing US troops and destroying tanks to undercover agents posing as al-Qaida operatives.
On 2 September 2004 a military jury found Anderson guilty of five counts of attempting to aid and provide intelligence to the enemy. He was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of eligibility for parole. In his defense, Anderson's lawyers offered medical testimony that he suffered from bipolar disorder and Asperger's syndrome, and that he used roleplaying to create structure in his life, making it easy for him to fall into a trap set by the government.