Va. Man Sentenced for Trying to Aid ISIL

Alexandria, Va. – Mahmoud Amin Mohamed Elhassan, a 26-year-old from Woodbridge, Virginia, was today sentenced to 11 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), along with making false statements to FBI agents.

Elhassan, who hails from Sudan, pleaded guilty on October 24, 2016. Court documents reveal that he aided Joseph Hassan Farrokh, 29, in his attempt to travel from the U.S. to Syria to fight for ISIL. The two planned for Elhassan to follow Farrokh later, with detailed discussions of their routes to Syria and $600 transferred by Farrokh to assist Elhassan’s journey.

Both men openly discussed supporting ISIL and violent jihad, with Farrokh expressing his eagerness to engage in combat. They communicated via apps they believed were secure from law enforcement detection, pursuing separate plans to travel to Syria until neither plan came to fruition. They also sought assistance from others to facilitate their travel.

On January 15, 2016, Elhassan drove Farrokh to Richmond International Airport, only for Farrokh to be arrested as he approached his departure gate. When confronted by FBI agents later that day, Elhassan made false statements regarding Farrokh’s flight details and their support for ISIL.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and Dennis Fitzpatrick prosecuted the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Andrew Sigler and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The sentencing was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

A full copy of this press release can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are available on the District Court website or PACER by searching Case No. 1:16-cr-64.

RELATED: CSAM Ring Leaders Face Decades

RELATED: Pueblo Gunman Gets 12.5 Years for Drugs & Violence