WASHINGTON DC – A US citizen has been charged with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State (IS) terror group, the US Department of Justice said on Monday.
Mohamed Fathy Suliman, 33, was recently expelled from Turkey and is now back in the United States.
Suliman, a former resident of Gainesville in the US state of Florida, traveled to Turkey in 2014 and attempted to enter Syria illegally to join the Islamic State, US officials said during the announcement of his arrest.
According to a criminal complaint, Suliman had a one-way flight reservation from Florida to Egypt in June 2014. However, during his stopover in Turkey, instead of traveling to Egypt, he paid cash for a one-way ticket to the Turkish city of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border.
He was arrested by the Turkish authorities when he was trying to cross into Syria illegally. In a 2018 interview with the FBI, Suliman admitted to purchasing a ticket to Egypt to disguise his travel plans to family and friends, the Justice Department said in a statement.
“Terrorists and would-be terrorists must understand that no resources will be spared when it comes to protecting American citizens and prosecuting those seeking to provide material support to foreign organizations designated as terrorists,” said US Attorney Lawrence Keefe of the Northern District of Florida , in a statement Monday.
American Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to Islamic State
Zachary Clark, 41, of Brooklyn, New York, has pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State (IS) terror group and distributing instructions for making bombs, the Justice Department reported Monday. from the United States.
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Authorities said Suliman’s arrest followed a lengthy investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in coordination with other US counterterrorism agencies.
“This case illustrates the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting Americans from threats posed by violent terrorist organizations and those who attempt to provide material support,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville, Florida division. .
The Justice Department said Turkey is known as a top destination for people trying to join the Islamic State in Syria. Turkey shares a 900-kilometer land border with the war-torn country.
According to the complaint, Suliman’s email account contained messages calling for jihad, offering rewards for those who participate in martyrdom, and encouraging the fight against crusaders, non-Muslims and those who insult the Prophet Muhammad.
The complaint also said that Suliman’s Facebook account in 2014 featured a profile photo of the Islamic State with the terror group’s black flag.
Suliman’s initial appearance was reportedly Monday in federal court in Gainesville. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $ 250,000.
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