It began when Ahmed Ferhani was arrested on a robbery charge and a detective overheard him espousing views on the treatment of Muslims across the world and his desire to participate in jihad. His statements led the NYPD to conduct an undercover investigation, befriending Ferhani and arresting him and an accomplice, Mohamed Mamdouh, when Ferhani accepted firearms and an inert grenade that the NYPD provided to him.