ISIS Supporter Charged in Indiana

A former Elkhart resident has been charged with providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated terrorist organization.

Samantha Marie Elhassani, 32, also known as Samantha Sally, was charged on August 22 in a two-count indictment with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and aiding and abetting individuals in providing material support to the organization.

According to the indictment, Elhassani traveled abroad and provided funds and supplies for use by two ISIS fighters between the fall of 2014 and the summer of 2015. The indictment alleges that Elhassani knew that ISIS was a designated terrorist organization and that it had engaged in terrorist activity.

Under the charges, Elhassani is alleged to have procured tactical gear and provided funds to support two individuals in providing themselves as personnel for ISIS. If convicted, she could face a specific sentence to be determined by the judge after considering federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Indianapolis Division and the Indianapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II for the Northern District of Indiana, and Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division.

U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, ‘My office is committed to aggressively pursuing and prosecuting those who support designated terrorist organizations such as ISIS. This indictment is an example of that commitment. The indictment alleges that Elhassani travelled abroad and provided funds and supplies for use by two ISIS fighters. The seriousness of the charges reflect the gravity of Elhassani’s alleged conduct.’

Elhassani was previously charged in July 2018 with making false statements to the FBI in the Northern District of Indiana. She was transferred from the custody of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to U.S. law enforcement.