Three South Florida men were charged with conspiring and attempting to support the Islamic State, the Justice Department said Friday.
Gregory Hubbard, aka Jibreel, 52, of West Palm Beach, Darren Arness Jackson, aka Daoud, 50, also of West Palm Beach, and Dayne Atani Christian, aka Shakur, 31, of Lake Park, were charged this week for planning to travel overseas to assist the foreign terrorist group. Christian was additionally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“The national security division’s highest priority is countering terrorist threats, and we will continue to work to stem the flow of foreign fighters abroad and bring to justice those who conspire and attempt to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations,” Assistant Attorney General Carlin said in the Justice Department’s announcement.
Hubbard entered federal agents’ radar after he told an undercover government source posing as a recruiter he wanted travel to Syria to join the Islamic State. He then recruited the two other suspects.
Hubbard had bought an airplane ticket from Miami to Germany, where he would then travel on to Iraq or Syria. Law enforcement intercepted Hubbard at the airport, picked up Jackson, his driver, shortly afterward and nabbed Christian at his workplace.
The three will have a detention hearing July 27 and are scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 5.
The men each face up to 20 years in prison for the material support charge. Christian also faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years for the weapon charge.
