A U.S. man will appear in a Texas federal court to face charges of attempting to provide material resources to al-Qaida militants in the Middle East.

Thirty-year-old Barry Bujol was arrested in May 2010 after using a fake identification to board a ship at a Houston port to travel to the Middle East.

Authorities say at the time he was carrying several items meant for al-Qaida operatives, including two portable GPS units and a mobile phone sim card.

The items were given to him by an FBI informant posing as a member of the terrorist group.

In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Bujol says he would not have ties or affiliations with any terrorist organizations if federal agents had not “lured or set him up”.

Bujol, who was raised Christian and converted to Islam, faces 20 years in prison if convicted.