Elvis Redzepagic, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen from Commack, New York, was sentenced to 200 months in federal prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS and the al-Nusrah Front. The sentence, handed down by United States District Judge Denis R. Hurley in Central Islip, marks the end of a years-long investigation into Redzepagic’s efforts to join foreign terrorist battalions and wage violent jihad.
Redzepagic pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of attempting to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations. According to court documents, in early 2015, he began communicating with an individual he believed to be a commander in Syria affiliated with ISIS or al-Nusrah, expressing a clear intent to travel overseas and join terrorist operations. His messages revealed a radicalized mindset, including references to dying for Allah and fulfilling religious duty through violence.
In July 2015, Redzepagic traveled to Turkey and made multiple attempts to cross into Syria. When those efforts failed, he shifted course to Jordan in August 2016—only to be intercepted and deported by Jordanian authorities. FBI investigators later uncovered Facebook messages in which Redzepagic declared his intent to “perform Jihad and join Jabhat Al-Nusra,” predicting a future where only the cry of “Allahu Akbar” would remain.
A forensic search of Redzepagic’s laptop exposed a trove of ISIS-specific extremist content. Among the files were ISIS nasheeds, including the so-called “ISIS Anthem” in English, and repeated visits to the Bosnian-language recruitment site “Put hilafeta,” known for funneling Balkan recruits into ISIS ranks. The digital trail provided damning evidence of both intent and ideological alignment with violent jihadist groups.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, emphasized the gravity of the sentence: “With the imposition of today’s lengthy sentence, Redzepagic pays a steep price for his misguided embrace of terrorism and his attempts to join ISIS and the al-Nusrah Front in order to wage violent jihad.” Peace affirmed the office’s ongoing commitment to dismantling terrorist threats before they reach American soil.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Saritha Komatireddy and Artie McConnell of the National Security and Cybercrime Section, with support from Trial Attorney Stephanie Sweeten of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The investigation received critical assistance from the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Serbia, and Montenegro’s Ministry of Justice, Prosecutor’s Office, and Special Police Unit. E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-228 (DRH).
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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