Seventeen year old Manassas man Ali Shukri Amin pled guilty this morning in federal court for providing support and resources to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
ISIL is a foreign terrorist organization based out of the Middle East.
Amin ill be sentenced for the charges on August 28. If convicted, he could face a maximum penalty of up to 15-years.
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that those who use social media as a tool to provide support and resources to ISIL will be identified and prosecuted with no less vigilance than those who travel to take up arms with ISIL. The Department of Justice will continue to pursue those that travel to fight against the United States and our allies, as well as those individuals that recruit others on behalf of ISIL in the homeland, and prosecute them to the full extent of the law,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in a release.
According to Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Carlin, ISIL has been using social media to reach out to Americans and other individuals to gain support.
“Ali Amin’s guilty plea is the latest in a series of cases that highlights the impact and danger of online extremist propaganda,” said Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, in a release.
Case documents stated that Amin used Twitter to provide encouragement and advice to ISIL members and supports. Amin also gave ISIL information on how to use Bitcoin – a virtual currency system – to provide the group with a way to mask funds.
Additionally, Amin helped to facilitate travel for an 18-year Prince William County resident Reza Niknejad to Syria, to join ISIL in January.
