ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) – The first law enforcement officer in the U.S. ever to be charged with a terrorism offense is going to trial. Jury selection begins Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, in the case against Nicholas Young, who was a police officer in the region’s Metro system when he was arrested last year in a government sting. Prosecutors say Young bought nearly $250 in gift cards he intended for the Islamic State group, giving the cards to an individual who turned out to be an FBI source. Young’s lawyers say the sting operation amounts to entrapment. Documents show Young had been under surveillance since 2010. The two-week trial is expected to include evidence that Young trafficked in Nazi memorabilia, evidence that Young’s lawyers wanted tossed out as overly inflammatory.
