Aws Mohammed Naser, Providing Material Support to ISIS, Michigan 2023

A Michigan man was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Aws Mohammed Naser, 38, formerly of Westland, Michigan, was convicted last year following a five-week trial. The jury unanimously found that Naser twice attempted to provide material support to ISIS, in the form of personnel (including himself) and services, knowing that ISIS was a designated terrorist organization, and that ISIS engages in terrorism.

In addition, Naser was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a destructive device. The jury deliberated approximately six hours before returning their verdict.

Naser’s crimes began in his early 20s when he became radicalized and frequently posted extreme Salafi-Jihadist ideological content on his YouTube channel. He developed a close relationship with Russell Dennison, an aspiring Salafi-Jihadist preacher, and the two jointly traveled to Iraq in early 2012.

Naser returned to Michigan in August 2012 while Dennison traveled to Syria and joined the foreign terrorist organization Al-Nusrah Front, an Islamic State of Iraq-affiliate group that was a precursor to ISIS. Once back in the United States, Naser started preparing to join Dennison. Naser consumed large amounts of terrorist propaganda materials, researched weapons, and watched gruesome videos depicting acts of violence such as beheadings.

Naser and Dennison continued to communicate and discussed available travel routes through Lebanon and Turkey and the terror group’s urgent need for money to acquire firearms. Naser twice attempted to leave the United States for Syria to join the terror group. First, in November 2012, Naser booked a flight departing the United States and arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with luggage that contained a rifle scope, cane sword, and a four-inch tactical knife. Naser’s attempt to join was thwarted when he was not allowed to board the plane.

Naser was later charged and convicted of armed robbery and served a three-year prison sentence. Naser was released from prison and placed on parole supervision in 2016. Unable to travel to join ISIS, Naser renewed his oath to ISIS and focused his attention on how to support ISIS in the United States.

Naser was found guilty of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and being a felon in possession of a destructive device. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The exact date of sentencing was not provided in the source.

The FBI Detroit Field Office worked day in and day out to prevent threats against our homeland and endangering American lives. Thanks to the thorough investigative work of our FBI Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force and partner agencies, this defendant was identified, disrupted, and brought to justice.

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