On December 13, 2024, a jury found a Virginia man guilty of assisting the terrorist group ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham).
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) media release, Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, of Springfield, Virginia, transferred monies to ISIS members to help them escape prison camps and support ISIS troops.
According to the DOJ, Chhipa collected cash through multiple social media profiles and received them via electronic transfer. He would also go hundreds of miles to hand-collect money.
Once Chhipa had the money, he would convert it to cryptocurrency and send it to Turkey, from where ISIS members in Syria would receive it.
Between October 2019 and October 2022, Chhipa transferred almost $185,000 in cryptocurrencies to ISIS.
Last Monday, a jury convicted Chhipa of one count of conspiracy to offer material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, as well as four counts of providing and trying to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail on each count.
A sentencing hearing is planned for May 5, 2025. A federal judge will decide Chhipa’s destiny after examining the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other circumstances.
The FBI continues to look into the situation.