Michigan Man Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support To ISIS

DETROIT – A Michigan man was charged with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and for being a felon in possession of a destructive device. The charges were set forth in an Indictment that was unsealed today.

The indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison of the Eastern District of Michigan, and James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The indictment alleges that between 2011 and October 2017, Aws Mohammed Naser, 34, formerly of Westland, Michigan, attempted to provide material support to ISIS, in the form of personnel (including himself) and services, knowing that ISIS was a designated terrorist organization and that ISIS engages in terrorism. In addition, Naser is charged with being a felon in possession of a destructive device in October 2017.

Naser faces up to twenty years in prison for attempting to support ISIS and up to fifteen years in prison for possessing the destructive device.  

Naser will be arraigned on the indictment at the federal courthouse in Detroit today at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

"Terrorism poses significant threats to people living in our District and around the world,” U.S. Attorney Ison stated.  “We will aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who seeks to aid terrorists.”

“Today’s indictment serves to remind others what can happen if they attempt to provide assistance to a foreign terrorist organization,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI will make every effort to protect Americans at home and abroad and to bring other like-minded criminals to justice.”

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin for the Eastern District of Michigan is prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.