Press Release
Three More Twin Cities Men Sentenced For Providing Material Support To ISIL
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota
Six co-conspirators have been sentenced
Six of nine defendants expected to be sentenced this week for conspiring to provide material support to ISIL have now been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. HAMZA AHMED, 21, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison. ADNAN FARAH, 20, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. HANAD MUSSE, 21, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota Andrew M. Luger, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Minneapolis Division Richard T. Thornton, and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division Mary B. McCord.
“Today's sentences reflect the seriousness of these defendant's crimes,” said USA Luger. “Although all three defendants pleaded guilty before trial, none were willing to cooperate with the United States. ISIL continues to target Minnesota's Somali community. Only by working together will we succeed in ending this threat.”
“The sentences handed down today reflect the true gravity of the defendants' crimes to betray their country, travel overseas, and ultimately join a terrorist organization dedicated to the murder of innocent people,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge for the Minneapolis Division Richard T. Thornton. “We hope these sentences will serve as a strong message that those who support terrorism will face justice. The FBI, through our Joint Terrorism Task Force, remains dedicated to working with our community partners to disrupt threats posed by ISIL and their supporters.”
According to his guilty plea, in May 2014, AHMED applied for and later received federal financial aid, which he claimed would be used to attend Minnesota Community and Technical College. Instead, AHMED used that money to purchase a Greyhound bus ticket from Minneapolis to New York City, and airfare from New York that he thought would enable him to travel to Syria to join ISIL. He was stopped at JFK International Airport by federal agents. AHMED pleaded guilty on April 25, 2016.
According to his guilty plea, A. FARAH participated in the conspiracy throughout 2014 and early 2015 in various capacities, including attempting to obtain a real passport to travel to Syria to join ISIL. When that effort failed, A. FARAH provided money and a photograph in an attempt to obtain a false passport so that he could travel to Syria to join ISIL. A. FARAH also aided MUSSE in his effort to obtain a false passport. A. FARAH pleaded guilty on April 14, 2016.
According to his guilty plea, in November 2014, MUSSE traveled by Greyhound bus from Minneapolis to New York City where he joined three of his co-conspirators at JFK International Airport. While at JFK, MUSSE purchased round-trip airfare to Athens, Greece, with the intention of traveling onward to Syria to join ISIL. He was stopped at JFK International Airport by federal agents. MUSSE pleaded guilty on September 9, 2015.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by members of the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF includes members from the following departments: the United States Marshals Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Bloomington Police Department, St. Paul Police Department, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Air Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Defense, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Minneapolis Police Department, Burnsville Police Department, Department of State, the Airport Police, Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, and the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Winter, John Docherty and Julie Allyn, with assistance from the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Defendant Information:
HAMZA NAJ AHMED, 21
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, 1 count
- Financial aid fraud, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 15 years in prison
- 20 years of supervised release
ADNAN ABDIHAMID FARAH, 20
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 10 years in prison
- 20 years of supervised release
HANAD MUSTOFE MUSSE, 21
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, 1 count
Sentenced:
Updated November 15, 2016
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