Joseph Hassan Farrokh, Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIL, Virginia 2022

Defendant Sentenced to 102 Months in Prison for Attempting to Join ISIL

Joseph Hassan Farrokh, 29, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was sentenced to 102 months in prison for attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Farrokh conspired with Mahmoud Amin Elhassan, 25, also of Woodbridge, to travel from the United States to Syria in order to fight with ISIL. As part of their plan, Farrokh would travel first, followed by Elhassan at a later date.

The two men spoke in detail about their potential travel, including discussing the different routes each would take to travel to Syria. Farrokh also provided $600 to Elhassan to aid in Elhassan's future travel to Syria. Both men spoke openly with each other about supporting ISIL and supporting violent jihad and on Oct. 2, 2015, Farrokh stated that he had no patience and wanted to go right away and 'chop their heads.'

Farrokh and Elhassan conspired with other persons they believed would help facilitate their travel to Syria. Over the course of many meetings, the men discussed in detail their travel plans and efforts to avoid law enforcement detection, including Farrokh shaving his beard and flying out of Richmond International Airport, where they believed there would be less security.

Farrokh and Elhassan agreed that Farrokh should tell his family that he intended to travel to Saudi Arabia to study. On Jan. 15, 2016, Elhassan picked up Farrokh at his home in Woodbridge and drove him to a location approximately one mile from the Richmond International Airport.

U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia imposed today's sentence and also ordered Farrokh to serve 10 years of supervised release.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin stated, 'With this sentence, Joseph Hassan Farrokh will be held accountable for attempting to travel overseas to join ISIL and to provide material support to the designated terrorist organization.'

U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente added, 'Farrokh's state of mind and conduct in this case were egregious and go to the heart of the safety of our community and the nation.'

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/virginia-man-sentenced-102-months-prison-attempting-travel-syria-join-isil