Yahya Goba is a Yemeni-American who grew up in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

. In 2002, he was arrested and charged as part of the War on Terror

War on Terror

The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...

 together with the other members of the "Lackawanna Six", based on the fact the group of friends had attended an Afghan training camp

Afghan training camp

An Afghan training camp is a camp or facility used for militant training located in pre-2002 Afghanistan. At the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Indian intelligence officials estimated that there were over 120 training camps operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, run by a variety of...

 together years earlier.

Life

When Kamal Derwish moved back to Lackawanna in 2000, he lived with his uncle until Goba volunteered to split an apartment with him. Derwish then began holding regular get-togethers at the apartment, where a group of upwards to 25 young Muslim men would get together to discuss religion and eat pizza. Goba and Jaber Elbaneh tended to "compete" for the attention and favour of Derwish, who spoke of his travels abroad and ostensible history fighting in Palestine.

He applied for a new passport, noting that his old one had been destroyed after being thrown in the washing machine

Washing machine

A washing machine is a machine designed to wash laundry, such as clothing, towels and sheets...

in a shirt pocket. Authorities have claimed he was trying to erase the incriminating visa stamps marking his overseas visits.