SAN ANTONIO, TX – Kristopher Sean Matthews, 34, of South Carolina, confessed in federal court today to a plot to funnel material support to ISIS, the brutal terrorist organization also known as Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham/Syria. Matthews, also known as Ali Jibreel, entered a guilty plea to a conspiracy charge that could land him in prison for up to 20 years.
Federal prosecutors detailed how Matthews, beginning in May 2019, worked alongside Jaylyn Christopher Molina, 22, of Cost, Texas (also known as Abdur Rahim). Their operation wasn’t about bombs on the battlefield; it was a digital war room. They administered an exclusive, encrypted chat group catering to ISIS sympathizers, a haven for radicalization and the sharing of extremist ideology. The pair didn’t stop at mere discussion.
The indictment revealed that Matthews and Molina actively collected, created, and distributed pro-ISIS propaganda. More disturbingly, they disseminated instructions on firearms training and, crucially, bomb-making – providing the tools for potential attacks to a network of online followers. The San Antonio FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) uncovered the scheme, with critical support from the U.S. Secret Service, San Antonio Police Department, and Gonzalez County Sheriff’s Office.
Matthews appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth S. Chestney to admit his guilt. He remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing, scheduled for March 4, 2021, before Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg, William R. Harris, and Eric Fuchs, alongside DOJ Trial Attorneys George C. Kraehe and Felice J. Viti, are prosecuting the case, a clear signal of the Justice Department’s commitment to disrupting terrorist networks.
Molina, also charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and one substantive count of providing material support, remains in custody. He faces a potentially harsher penalty than Matthews – up to 40 years in federal prison if convicted. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities haven’t ruled out further charges or the identification of additional co-conspirators.
While the government maintains that an indictment is not proof of guilt, the evidence presented thus far paints a chilling picture of a domestic terror cell operating in the shadows. The case underscores the evolving threat of ISIS, which now relies heavily on online recruitment and the dissemination of dangerous knowledge. The JTTF continues to monitor extremist activity and work to dismantle these networks before they can translate online rhetoric into real-world violence.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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