Chicago’s FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Mohammed Hamzah Khan, 19, on Saturday at O’Hare International Airport, just before he attempted to fly to Vienna, Austria, on his way to Istanbul, Turkey, with the alleged intention of joining the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Grimy Times has learned.
Khan, a Bolingbrook resident, was taken into custody without incident after being approached by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and later interviewed by FBI agents at the airport.
According to a complaint affidavit, Khan had purchased a roundtrip ticket on Sept. 26 to travel from Chicago to Istanbul, with his flight departing on Saturday and returning later this week.
Federal agents executed a search warrant at Khan’s residence and recovered multiple handwritten documents that appeared to be drafted by Khan and/or others, which expressed support for ISIL, the affidavit alleges.
The documents, including travel plans and materials referencing ISIL and jihad, are described in the complaint affidavit. Khan’s alleged attempts to join the terrorist organization carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, if convicted.
Khan made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Cox, and remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Hiller and Angel Krull are representing the government in the case, with U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon and FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Robert J. Holley announcing the arrest and complaint.
The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Khan is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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