A former National Guard soldier from Northern Virginia pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State, the Justice Department said Thursday.
Mohamed Jalloh, 26, of Sterling, Va., had acquired a weapon for a Fort Hood-style attack against the U.S. military. After hearing propaganda from al Qaeda member Anwar al-Awlaki, he chose to quit his Guard duties and join the terrorist group, prosecutors said.
Earlier this year, Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Sierra Leone, traveled to Africa to join the Islamic State. He ultimately backed out of joining the terrorist group as a fighter in the Middle East and chose to become a domestic terrorist in the U.S.
“Mohamed Bailor Jalloh purchased a weapon following multiple attempts to procure assault rifles and handguns, believing they would be used in an ISIL-directed attack on U.S. soil,” said Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “Jalloh also provided money on multiple occasions to support ISIL after attempting to join the terrorist group. The FBI and our partners within the Joint Terrorism Task Force are dedicated to preventing any and all acts of terrorism and relentlessly pursuing and disrupting anyone who poses a risk of harm directly or by providing material support to a terrorist group.”
Jalloh was arrested in July, shortly after he told an undercover FBI agent that he was planning to launch an attack on a military base. He also made what he thought was a $500 donation to the terrorist group, which was actually an FBI fund.
