Mohamed Salat Haji, Conspiring to Support ISIS, Michigan 2023

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — A Michigan man has been sentenced to 130 months in prison for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Mohamed Salat Haji, 28, of Lansing, Michigan, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Robert J. Jonker.

According to court documents, between December 2018 and January 2019, Haji’s cousin, Mohamud Muse, coordinated with an individual he believed to be a Somali ISIS fighter to wire funds to be used to purchase airline tickets for travel to Mogadishu, Somalia. Haji helped Muse check in for a flight at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

All three defendants – Haji, Muse, and another relative – pledged allegiance to ISIS in recorded videos and submitted them to individuals they believed were associated with the terrorist organization. The investigation revealed that the defendants participated in numerous conversations discussing traveling overseas to join ISIS and even adopted fighter aliases.

In June 2021, Haji pleaded guilty to the charge, admitting that he agreed to provide material support or resources to ISIS, a foreign terrorist organization. He further admitted that the individuals he conspired with were his relatives and co-defendants, Muse and Mohamud Muse.

Last year, Muse Muse was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison, while Mohamud Muse was sentenced to serve 98 months for their respective roles in the offense. Haji’s sentence of 130 months is the longest of the three defendants.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) led the investigation, assisted by several local and federal law enforcement agencies, including the Michigan State Police and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Clay M. West and Christopher O’Connor prosecuted the case with assistance from the National Security Division Counterterrorism Section.

The case serves as a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by terrorist organizations and the importance of vigilance and cooperation among law enforcement agencies.

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