COLUMBUS, OHIO — A Somali immigrant the government says plotted to blow up an Ohio shopping mall pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

Nuradin Abdi, 35, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley a week before his trial had been expected to start August 6.

The Justice Department accused Abdi of suggesting the plan to attack a Columbus shopping mall during an August 2002 meeting at a coffee shop with now-convicted terrorist Iyman Faris and a third suspect, Christopher Paul.

Faris is serving 20 years in a maximum-security federal prison in Florence, Colo., for his role in an Al Qaeda plot to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge. Faris scouted the bridge and told Al Qaeda its plans wouldn’t work, court papers have said.

Federal agents arrested Abdi the morning of November 28, 2003, the day after Thanksgiving, out of fear the attack would be carried out on the heavy shopping day. He was arrested at 6 a.m. while leaving his Columbus home for morning prayers.

Prosecutors say Abdi gave stolen credit card numbers to a man accused of buying gear for Al Qaeda, and lied on immigration documents to visit a jihadist training camp. Abdi’s attorneys said he was upset at the war in Afghanistan and reports of civilians killed in bombings by the American-led invasion.