Former refugee sentenced to 12 years for providing material support to ISIS

Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated, but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

HOUSTON – A 28-year-old former Iraqi refugee and legal permanent resident of Richmond has been sentenced for providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Alqaysi pleaded guilty March 7.

U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett has now ordered Alqaysi to serve 144 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the gravity of the offense and how Alqaysi’s conduct affected not only Americans, but the entire international community. Alqaysi is also expected to lose his immigration status in the United States.

“The American people generously allowed Alqaysi to live in the United States,” said Ganjei. “Alqaysi betrayed that hospitality by helping ISIS, a terrorist organization that has murdered Americans and countless other innocent people. This sentence sends a clear message: If you help terrorist organizations, ​the Southern District of Texas will send you to prison for a long, long time.”

Alqaysi admitted to providing material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.

From 2015 to 2020, Alqaysi provided his computer expertise to develop and post logos for a media arm of the ISIS group known as the Kalachnikov team. He further sent hacking videos and instructions to ISIS members in addition to stolen credit card information and fraudulently created identity documents.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of Immigration Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter prosecuted the case along with National Security Division Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe.