Zacharia Abdurahman, Material Support to ISIL, MN 2014

Three Twin Cities men have been sentenced for conspiring to provide material support to ISIL, marking the first convictions in a sweeping federal crackdown. Zacharia Abdurahman, 21, of Columbia Heights, Minn., was hit with a 10-year prison sentence after attempting to fly to Syria in 2014. Abdurahman, along with two co-defendants, plotted to join the terrorist group despite clear U.S. warnings and legal barriers.

Abdullahi Yusuf, 20, of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., was sentenced to time already served after pleading guilty in 2015. In April 2014, Yusuf applied for an expedited U.S. passport and tried to board a flight to Istanbul the following month. He was intercepted at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. Yusuf later cooperated with federal authorities and testified against three co-conspirators at trial.

Abdirizak Warsame, 21, of Eagan, Minn., received 30 months in prison after admitting his role in the conspiracy. Between 2014 and early 2015, Warsame served briefly as the group’s so-called ’emir’ and helped another conspirator, Yusuf Jama, secure contacts to enter Syria and join ISIL. Warsame pleaded guilty in February 2016 and also cooperated with prosecutors, testifying in the trial of his former allies.

Zacharia Abdurahman’s attempt to reach Syria was more elaborate. In November 2014, he and three others boarded a bus to JFK Airport in New York City, aiming to fly overseas and join ISIL. Federal agents stopped them before boarding. Despite the failed attempt, Abdurahman continued plotting another run, sealing his fate with a decade-long sentence and 20 years of supervised release.

The case unfolded through the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which includes agencies from local, state, and federal levels — including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Defense, IRS Criminal Investigation, and multiple police departments across Minnesota. The investigation spanned years, tracking online communications, travel plans, and recruitment efforts tied to the foreign terrorist organization.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Winter, John Docherty, and Julie Allyn prosecuted the case. U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger emphasized the importance of rehabilitation for those who disengage from extremist ideology. ‘Judge Davis recognized that fact today in his considered sentences for those defendants who cooperated with the government,’ Luger said. All three men were convicted of one count of Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.