NEW YORK — Prosecutors say they're close to reaching aplea deal with an imam accused of lying to FBI agents investigating afoiled suicide bomb plot against New York City.
Ahmad Afzali madea brief appearance Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn. Bothprosecutors and Afzali's attorney indicated in their remarks to a judgethat a plea deal was likely. He's due back in court Thursday.
Authoritiesarrested Afzali last year amid the investigation of admitted al-Qaidaassociate Najibullah Zazi. He pleaded guilty last week to plotting touse homemade bombs in a "martyrdom operation" against the subways.
Prosecutorssay Afzali alerted Zazi by telephone that he was under surveillancewhen he arrived in New York in September to carry out the attack.