ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former police officer traded his badge for allegiance to a terrorist organization and now faces 15 years behind bars. Nicholas Young, 38, of Fairfax, Virginia, was sentenced today for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and deliberately throwing up roadblocks to a federal investigation.
Court records paint a damning picture of Young, formerly with the Metro Transit Police Department, actively working to aid ISIS. In late July 2016, he purchased and transmitted gift card codes, believing they would fund secure communications for ISIS recruiters targeting potential recruits. This wasn’t a momentary lapse; it was a calculated effort to bolster a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The deception didn’t stop there. Between December 3rd and 5th, 2015, Young attempted to obstruct an official proceeding, specifically the investigation into an associate he believed had successfully joined ISIS in 2014. That associate, however, was an FBI Confidential Human Source (CHS). Despite being informed by the FBI that they were investigating his associate’s attempt to join ISIS, Young actively tried to mislead investigators about the CHS’s travel, attempting to shield both himself and the source from prosecution.
The web of lies deepened further back in November 2014. Young sent a text message to the CHS’s cell phone, attempting to create a false narrative for the FBI – that the CHS was on vacation in Turkey. In reality, Young believed the CHS had traveled to Turkey and then Syria to join and fight for ISIS. This wasn’t about protecting a friend; it was about actively concealing support for a terrorist group.
U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema didn’t just hand down a 15-year prison sentence. She also ordered 15 years of supervised release, to begin immediately upon Young’s release. This isn’t just punishment; it’s a clear signal that betraying the public trust and aiding terrorists will not be tolerated.
The case was spearheaded by Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, and FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and John T. Gibbs, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Turgeon, and Trial Attorney David P. Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section secured the conviction. Court documents can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia website and PACER (Case No. 1:16-cr-265). This case serves as a stark reminder that the threat of domestic terrorism is real, and those who support it will be brought to justice.”
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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