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Teen Convicted of Attempting to Join ISIS
Zakaryia Abdin, 19, of Ladson, South Carolina, has been convicted of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Abdin, who pleaded guilty in court, was arrested at the Charleston International Airport on March 30, 2017, while attempting to board a plane to travel overseas and provide support to ISIS.
‘Abdin’s attempt to provide material support to ISIS by traveling overseas put American lives at risk,’ said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers. ‘That is unacceptable, and I applaud the dedicated agents and prosecutors who stopped him and have achieved this successful outcome.’
Abdin began his efforts on Jan. 3, 2017, when he created a social media account to attempt to join ISIS. He later visited the FBI in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, to meet with a special agent from the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
During the interview, the special agent advised Abdin about the FBI’s role in conducting counterterrorism investigations and outlined for him various statutory definitions. However, Abdin continued to seek a handler to get him overseas to Syria or Egypt to make contact with ISIS.
Unbeknownst to him, he ended up making contact with an undercover FBI employee, with whom he had extensive communications online. Abdin expressed continued loyalty to ISIS, stating he had given a pledge of loyalty to the Caliphate in 2014 and provided a video of a new pledge to Commander Abu Baker al Baghdadi.
Abdin also indicated that he wished to join the Caliphate and requested to serve in combat. He stated that he was proficient with various weapons, including AK’s, SKS rifles, and pistols, and had experience with and was reliable in close combat.
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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