La Palma Woman Charged with Helping Fund Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Military Overseas

A La Palma woman was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of sending money to Pakistan to help fund attacks against the U.S. military.

Oytun Ayse Mihalik, 39, a Turkish citizen with permanent resident status in the U.S., was arrested Aug. 27 just before boarding a flight to Turkey with a one-way ticket and was indicted three days later with making false statements to federal agents, according to Thom Mrozek of the U.S. Attorney's Office. She has been in federal custody since her arrest.

The indictment alleges Mihalik lied to federal investigators during an interview at Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 8 when she returned from a six-month trip to Turkey, Mrozek said. Mihalik is accused of lying when she told agents she never used an alias when sending money through Western Union to someone overseas, he added.

Mihalik has pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of making false statements. 

Another indictment filed Wednesday alleges Mihalik sent a total of $2,050 in three wire transfers to someone in Pakistan at the end of 2010 and the beginning of this year, knowing that the funds would be used to prepare for and carry out attacks that would kill U.S. military personnel and other persons overseas, Mrozek said.

An arraignment date has not been scheduled on these additional charges, he added.

The charge of providing material support to terrorists carries a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The charge of making false statements in a matter involving international terrorism carries a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

A trial in this case was previously scheduled for Feb. 14 before United States District Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen.

- City News Service contributed to this report.