Seattle man sentenced to four years in prison for attempting to travel to the Middle East to join a foreign terrorist organization | USAO-WDWA

Seattle – A 22-year-old Seattle man was sentenced immediately in U.S. District Court in Seattle to four years in prison, with 15 years of supervised launch, for offering materials help to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the legal professional introduced. American Nick Brown. Elvin Hunter Bgorn Williams was arrested on May 28, 2021, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on felony prices associated to his alleged efforts to join the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), an organization of designated foreign terrorist, to have interaction in violence. acts of terrorism in the Middle East or the United States. At immediately’s sentencing listening to, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour mentioned he was imposing a a lot decrease sentence than the authorities’s request of 15 years due to Williams’ “mental health and history of mental health difficulties.” .

“Mr. Williams persisted in his plans to join a terrorist organization and commit acts of violence despite intervention from his family, his school, members of his mosque and the FBI,” mentioned U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Indeed, he repeatedly stated his intention to commit an act of terror here at home if he could not travel overseas. Mr. Williams continues to pose a danger to the community. It will be extremely important that he is closely monitored once he is released from prison.”

Williams was arrested after a prolonged investigation into his makes an attempt to join ISIS.

“Mr. Williams demonstrated by his actions that he was willing to join the Islamic State in hopes of furthering their ideology through violence,” mentioned Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s discipline workplace in Seattle. “He took concrete steps to finance his activities, buy equipment and travel to the Middle East. I’m grateful for how law enforcement was able to step in and stop him before he could reach his goal.”

According to the plea settlement, in November 2020, Williams started telling members of the family that he was a member of ISIS. Williams posted a video on Facebook in which he pledged allegiance to an ISIS chief.

Using confidential sources shut to Williams, the FBI monitored his exercise and have become conscious of his makes an attempt to travel to the Middle East and join ISIS. Williams instructed associates that if he couldn’t travel abroad, he would perform an assault in the US on behalf of ISIS. Williams started speaking with what he believed to be ISIS recruiters who may lead him to an ISIS terrorist cell in the Middle East or different elements of the world.

The plea settlement comprises statements Williams made about his intentions: that he sought martyrdom, “had no problem with murder” and hoped to be concerned in beheading others.

In May 2021, Williams obtained a passport and pawned a laptop computer to elevate funds for his journey. In early May 2021, Williams booked a aircraft ticket from Seattle to Amsterdam and on to Egypt to join ISIS. On Friday, May 28, 2021, he went to Sea-Tac Airport to catch the first leg of his worldwide flight. Williams was arrested at the departure gate.

Asking the court docket for a 15-year sentence, the prosecutors wrote to the court docket: “Unfortunately, this case is on no account distinctive. ISIS and different terrorist teams have interaction in recruiting potential supporters utilizing on-line propaganda communication instruments. Many Americans fall prey to this recruitment and try to travel to battle with terrorist teams abroad or search to perform native assaults on behalf of terrorist organizations.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Seattle with help from the King County Sheriff’s Office; US Customs and Border Protection; National Security Investigations; Federal Air Marshals; US Citizenship and Immigration Services; US Marshals Service; US Postal Inspection Service; Transportation Security Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Maritime Criminal Investigation Service; Seattle Police Department; Bellevue Police Department; and the Port of Seattle Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg of the Western District of Washington Terrorism and Violent Crime Unit and Trial Attorney Andrew Sigler of the Homeland Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.