In October 2009, Tarek Mehanna, a 27-year-old American and Sudbury resident, was arrested by federal authorities. 

Mehanna, who recently received his doctorate from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, has been charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and planning to carry out attacks in the US.  He has been held without bail in solitary confinement since his arrest.

 

His large support group accuses the FBI of targeting him for arrest because he refused to be pressured into becoming an informant. Some of the charges against him appear to be based on protected First Amendment activity.