A man in Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he was convicted on terrorism charges, according to a press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Said Azzam Mohamad Rahim, 42, was convicted after a three-and-a-half day trial in May on “one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO), one count of attempting to provide material support to an FTO, and six counts of making false statements involving international terrorism to federal authorities.”
The DOJ said that Rahim ran a social media channel that was designed to recruit people to fight for ISIS. He used the push-to-talk direct messaging app Zello to “promote violence in ISIS’s name,” the DOJ said in the press release. He also spent years on the “State of Islamic Caliphate” channel where he used multiple accounts to praise acts of terrorism committed by ISIS and other extremists. Among the comments he made in the app:
“Kill and do not consult anyone. Kill by any means, smash his head on the wall, spit in his face, burn — I mean anything, anything – poison, anything.”
“Brothers! What are you waiting for? Mobilize and perform jihad for the cause of Allah…. Some of the brothers mobilized from this channel, they were amongst us.”
He also said he “was happy for this act” in reference to the terrorist attack in Nice, France, that killed 86 people.
“Rahim spread the violent message of ISIS online,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers said in a statement. “He also attempted to travel to support ISIS and then lied to FBI when questioned about his activities. This sentence is the consequence of his criminal activities and a clear message to others who would consider following in his footsteps: don’t.”
Rahim’s sentencing came just after a New York man plead guilty to “one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and one count of providing material support to terrorists,” the DOJ said in another press release.
Nihad Rosic, 31, was charged along with four other individuals accused of “conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists.”
Court documents referred to by the DOJ said Rosic and the co-defendants sought to provide money and other materials to those poised to fight for ISIS in Syria.
Rosic, according to the DOJ, “faces up to 15 years imprisonment and/or fines of up to $250,000, per count,” for a total of 30 years in prison and/or fines of up to $500,000.
This year has seen multiple people arrested for attempting to provide material support to ISIS. In November, a Chicago man who also led a local street gang was charged after making three payments he thought would go to ISIS. In reality, he was providing the payment to a confidential law enforcement source.
In July, two Somalian refugees were arrested for conspiring to provide support to ISIS. The arrests came after the two men spoke to an undercover FBI agent they thought was an ISIS supporter.