BOSTON -- A Sudbury man accused in a terror plot that targeted mall shoppers and prominent U.S. politicians tossed a chair to the floor and briefly refused to stand up for a Boston federal court judge Wednesday.

Tarek Mehanna, 27, was arrested at on federal terrorism-related charges and accused of planning attacks inside and outside the United States. He was taken into custody at his Sudbury home at 6 Fairhaven Circle, according to acting U.S. Attorney Michael K. Loucks.

Beginning in 2001 and continuing through 2008, Mehanna conspired with Ahmad Abousamra and others to provide material support and resources to terrorists to "kill, kidnap, maim or injure" people, including prominent U.S. politicians, according to the complaint.

During his court appearance Mehanna, initially refused to stand up and only did so after his father urged him to get up.

Loucks said that Mehanna was involved with co-conspirators in a plan that targeted two members of the executive branch and a planned attack on a U.S. shopping mall.

"The killing of citizens was considered OK by the conspirators because citizens are taxpayers," Loucks said.

Officials said Mehanna and the co-conspirators had multiple conversations about the mall attack, including coordination, weapons needed and the possibility of attacking emergency responders.

That plan was abandoned when alleged co-conspirator Daniel Maldonado, a New England native who is now serving time for receiving terrorist training overseas, was unable to supply enough automatic weapons, officials said.

Mehanna and his co-conspirators talked about their desire to participate in a violent jihad against American interests and about their desire to die on the battlefield, officials said. They allegedly tried to inspire each other by watching and distributing jihadi videos.

"The video began by showing the pillaging of the Muslim world in Bosnia and Palestine. It then progressed to showing some of the uplifting victories of the mujahideen. The video included footage of people being killed. After the video was over the group talked about the glory of dying for the sake of Allah," according to the complaint.

Federal officials say a computer in Mehanna's Sudbury home was used in planning attacks, according to the complaint. That computer was searched in August 2006 by officials who made a mirror copy of the hard drive.

Mehanna's arrest was made after federal officials recorded conversations between Mehanna and cooperating witnesses. Officials said the witnesses are "prepared to testify at any trials."

The complaint alleges that, among other things, Mehanna and two of his associates traveled to the Middle East in February 2004, seeking military-type training at a terrorist training camp that would prepare them for armed jihad against U.S. and allied forces in Iraq.

Special Agent Heidi Williams said Mehanna traveled to Yemen in 2004 and later lied to a task force about it when interviewed in 2006. Abousamra, who now lives in Syria, lied to the task force about why he went to Yemen, saying it was to study Arabic and religious studies, officials said.

"The purpose of their trip to Yemen in February 2004 was to find a terrorist training camp to learn how to conduct and subsequently engage in jihad," the complaint said.

Abousamra traveled to Pakistan twice in 2002 to "obtain training in furtherance of jihad." He was last interviewed by the task force in Dec. 2006. At the time, he said he was going to Syria to visit his wife, but he never returned to Boston.

Mehanna was arrested in November 2008 and charged with lying to the FBI when asked about the whereabouts of Maldonado, who trained with al-Qaida members.

At the time, Mehanna told the FBI Maldonado was living in Egypt, but officials said Maldonado called Mehanna from Somalia urging him to join him in "training for jihad."

"Abousamra and Maldonado discussed the religious justification for suicide bombings. Abousamra and Mehanna often debated the legality of suicide bombings that resulted in the death of innocent civilians. Ultimately they agreed it was permissible if the benefit was greater than the loss," according to the complaint.

He told FBI agents in 2007 that he "admitted that he went to Somalia to fight jihad." While there, he urged Mehanna to join him, Maldonado told federal officials. Maldonado called Mehanna and told him he was participating in "culinary school" and making "peanut butter and jelly," which officials say is code the men used to refer to jihad when talking on the phone or over the Internet.

A detention and probable cause hearing was set for Oct. 30. If convicted on the material support charge, Mehanna faces up to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

"I'm confident that the American people will put aside their fears and stick with the fairness that Mr. Mehanna is entitled to under our Constitution," Mehanna's attorney, J.W. Carney Jr., said.

Mehanna's father, Ahmed S. Mehanna, is a professor at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. His wife, Souad Mehanna, offers day-care services out of the family's Sudbury home.

"He is a very good boy. He is innocent," she said as she left her home Wednesday.

"My son is very nervous because that is all fabrication in his eyes," Ahmed Mehanna said after his son's court appearance. "It is very frustrating and a very, very unfortunate event. So I can't even talk because my lawyer advised me not to do so."

Neighbors said that they were shocked by the arrest.

"I can't believe it. It is hard to believe he is being accused of that. They've been living here six or seven years. (I've never seen) anything unusual," neighbor Paul DeMarco said.