Authorities arrested a New York resident on Tuesday who tried to help a person travel and fight overseas for the Islamic State, the Justice Department said.
Sajmir Alimehmeti, 22, is charged with purchasing military-style weapons and helping a supporter obtain “travel documents, equipment and encryption technology,” Justice said.
“Alimehmeti is charged today with actions that show a clear intention to support a terrorist organization that is hell-bent on murder and mayhem,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. “For that, thanks to the incredibly dedicated work of the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force, Alimehmeti is under arrest and facing federal crime charges.”
This isn’t the first terrorist-related encounter Alimehmeti has been involved in, according to the press release. In 2014, he tried to enter the United Kingdom twice, but was denied entry each time. In both instances, U.K. authorities discovered clothing, weapons and images of Alimehmeti with Islamic State flags.
Upon returning to the United States, the press release says, Alimehmeti showed continual support for the terrorist group. When meeting with undercover law enforcement agents, Alimehmeti reportedly “played multiple ISIL-related videos on his computer and phone, including videos of ISIL decapitating prisoners.”
Believing his old passport with rejection stamps “would make it difficult to travel,” Alimehmeti applied for a new passport in October 2015.
In May 2016, Alimehmeti attempted to help an individual who he thought was trying to travel to Syria to fight for the Islamic State, but who was actually an undercover law enforcement agent. Alimehmeti accompanied the individual to stores to purchase supplies and offered advice, and reportedly told the agent he was ready to join the terror group and that he was “done with this place.”
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison for having material support to a terrorist organization, and an additional maximum sentence of 10 years for including false statements in a U.S. passport application.
NYPD Commissioner William Bratton called the Alimehmeti “case the latest example of collaboration at its best.”
“The National Security Division will continue to work with our partners to identify, disrupt and hold accountable those who seek to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Carlin said in a statement.
