Washington (AFP) — A Yemini-born U.S. man was indicted for allegedly providing material support to the Islamic State by recruiting members for the jihadist group.
Mufid Elfgeeh, a naturalized U.S. citizen, attempted to draft three individuals, two of whom worked in conjunction with the FBI as informants, into the services of the IS organization.
The resident of Rochester, New York, was also charged with one count of attempted murder of current and former U.S. military, having plotted to shoot and kill members returned from Iraq, according to the indictment.
In 2013 and early 2014, Elfgeeh, 30, encouraged and helped prepare the two confidential sources “to travel overseas to engage in violent jihad,” a statement from the Department of Justice said.
He also sent $600 to an individual in Yemen for travel to Syria to join the IS fight.
“Elfgeeh attempted to assist all three individuals in traveling to Syria to join and fight on behalf of ISIS,” the Department of Justice said, using an alternate acronym for the IS group, which also goes by ISIL.
The seven-count indictment additionally included charges for possession of firearms equipped with silencers for furtherance of a violent crime, and two counts for receipt and possession of unregistered firearm silencers.
Elfgeeh first mentioned shooting military members to one of the informants in December 2013 when Elfgeeh reportedly said he wanted a gun and ammunition so he could put on a bullet-proof vest and go “around and start shooting,” the Department of Justice said.
Elfgeeh was arrested after one of the informants provided him in late May with two handguns — made inoperable by the FBI — as well as silencers and ammunition.
“As this case shows, our agents and prosecutors are using all the investigative tools at our disposal to break up these plots before individuals can put their plans into action,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in the statement.
“We are focused on breaking up these activities on the front end, before supporters of ISIL can make good on plans to travel to the region or recruit sympathizers to this cause,” Holder added.
AFP Photo/Mandel Ngan
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