Marquez called 9/11 when he saw the news showing the shootout between Rizwan, his wife and police. He said the guns involved were his. He then turned himself in to a hospital where he was put on a psychiatric hold. After being released a few days later, he started being interviewed by the FBI. His interviews were from Dec. 6 to Dec. 15.
He did not participate in the shootings or have any advance knowledge of them according to the plea agreement. Basically, he lied to the FBI about how whether Rizwan had paid him for the guns before he bought them in 2012, and he confessed plans for attacks that were never consummated. (It sounds like the Government wouldn't have known about them but for his voluntary disclosures.)
He also said he and Rizwan had read an Inspire Magazine article about how to make bombs (back in 2011 or 2012.)
Also charged in related cases and pleading guilty to a sham marriage scheme: Rizwan's brother (Syed Raheel Farook), his wife Tatiana, and Tatiana's sister Mariya, who was married to Enrique Marquez.
Syed Raheel Farook is the older brother of San Bernadino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. Syed Raheel, the elder brother, served in the U.S. Navy from 2003 to 2007, with distinction, earning medals in the "Global War on Terrorism." He is married to Tatiana (Chernykh) Farook. Tatiana has a sister named Mariya Chernykh. The sisters are from Russia and emigrated here. Mariya is married to Enrique Marquez, who was charged with providing guns to Syed Rizwan Farook and marriage fraud. The Government alleges he paid Mariya Chernykh to marry him and the marriage was a sham marriage. They never lived together.
Today's press release says:
Three people have pleaded guilty to being part of a sham marriage scheme in which a Russian woman “married” Marquez to obtain immigration benefits. Syed Raheel Farook, the brother of IRC attacker Syed Rizwan Farook; Tatiana Farook, Syed Raheel Farook’s wife; and Mariya Chernykh, Tatiana Farook’s sister, pleaded guilty earlier this year to immigration fraud charges and admitted to being part of a conspiracy in which Chernykh paid Marquez to enter into a bogus marriage.
Raheel's and Tatiana's marriage wasn't a sham, and they have a daughter. Raheel is a U.S. veteran who earned medals in the fight against terrorism. Their crime was in lying to the FBI about "witnessing the sham wedding, taking staged family pictures with the couple" and otherwise supporting the sham marriage so Tatiana's sister could stay in the U.S. One of their neighbors described them this way:
One of his neighbors, Stacy Mozer, described Raheel Farook and his wife, Tatiana, as ideal neighbors. The couple drove another neighbor to doctor's appointments last year when she had cancer surgery, treated her to meals out and fetched her prescriptions for her, even paying for them, he said. The couple frequently strolled with their 1-year-old daughter around the community of townhomes and took her to the pool.
This now wraps up the San Bernardino cases. A lot of vengeful overkill in my opinion. As the U.S. Attorney said in the press release:
We are, and will continue to be, deeply committed to pursuing the prosecution of everyone who was even remotely related to the San Bernardino attack (my emphasis).
Remote is right. Warning to the underinformed: Your right to remain silent is guaranteed for a reason. Use it or lose it. And be prepared to pay for the crimes of your relatives and former friends you had nothing to do with.
