Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Dana J. Boente, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced the filing of a Superseding Indictment charging ADAM RAISHANI, a/k/a “Saddam Mohamed Raishani,” with conspiring to provide, providing and attempting to provide, and aiding and abetting the provision and attempted provision of material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS” or the “Islamic State”), a designated foreign terrorist organization, by allegedly facilitating another ISIS supporter’s travel to join ISIS overseas. RAISHANI had already been charged, in an Indictment filed on June 29, 2017, with attempting to provide material support to ISIS, by allegedly attempting to travel abroad to join ISIS himself. RAISHANI was arrested on June 21, 2017, at John F. Kennedy International Airport (“JFK Airport”) in Queens, New York, as he allegedly attempted to travel overseas to join ISIS. The Superseding Indictment adds charges against RAISHANI for allegedly agreeing to facilitate, and facilitating another individual’s travel to join ISIS abroad in the fall of 2015. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As alleged, Adam Raishani provided material support to ISIS by helping a co-conspirator travel abroad to fight for that terrorist organization. A year later, Raishani himself attempted to travel overseas to join ISIS. Fortunately through the outstanding work of law enforcement, Raishani’s travel plans were detected and thwarted before he was able to inflict any further harm.”
Acting Assistant Attorney General J. Dana Boente said: “According to the charges, Raishani conspired to provide material support to ISIS and helped another individual travel to join the designated terrorist organization before attempting to do the same. 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 to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations. I would like to thank all of the agents, analysts and prosecutors who are responsible for this case.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “As we allege, Raishani not only provided support to another individual located in the US who was determined to join ISIS overseas, but arranged for his departure, and expressed disappointment for not being able to travel with that individual at that time. Along with our partners on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, we'll continue to identify those who support terrorist organizations and their agenda in any way, as we've done here today
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “Over the past several weeks, there have been a number of defendants charged with helping others travel to Syria or prepare to engage in their own Jihad,” said Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill. “This is the latest—troubling—example. My thanks for the detectives and agents whose investigation on the original Joint Terrorism Task Force here in Manhattan led to today’s arrests.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment filed today in Manhattan federal court and the criminal Complaint[1] initially filed against RAISHANI:
Beginning in at least the fall of 2015, RAISHANI conspired with another ISIS supporter (“CC-1”) to provide material support to ISIS by means of CC-1 traveling abroad to join and fight for ISIS. On or about October 30, 2015, CC-1 departed from JFK Airport for Istanbul, Turkey. RAISHANI arranged for the transportation of CC-1 from the Bronx, New York, to JFK Airport, and RAISHANI accompanied CC-1 from the Bronx to JFK Airport.
RAISHANI continued communicating with CC-1 following CC-1’s departure. For example, on or about January 2, 2016, RAISHANI sent an email to CC-1 stating: “Glad tidings brother. Its [sic] been some time since your voyage. I pray to Allah The ALL MIGHTY to grant you success. Until next time.”[2] On or about April 1, 2016, RAISHANI sent another email to CC-1 stating: “I hope Allah has bestowed you what you were seeking. . . . May Allah grant you sincere and clean intentions and make you among the righteous in Janatal Firdaus [a reference to Islamic paradise]. . . . Please return this email and respond to what we agreed upon before your departure. Until next time.” On or about May 3, 2016, CC-1 responded to RAISHANI, informing RAISHANI that CC-1 was “fine and well,” that CC-1 “wished you [RAISHANI] were here with me,” and that “here we are living with izza [honor].”
Also in May 2016, CC-1 posted content on a particular social media application (“Application-1”) indicating that CC-1 was living in the Islamic State and fighting on its behalf. For example, CC-1 sent messages to another user of Application-1 stating: “I’m living in the Islamic state safely and secure by the permission of Allah,” “[h]ere we are fighting the kuffars [non-believers],” and “I left the land of kuffars now I’m living in the khilafah [the caliphate].” CC-1 also posted a photograph on Application-1 that shows CC-1 carrying an assault rifle and a flag representative of ISIS.
Between January and June of 2017, RAISHANI engaged in a series of meetings with an individual who was, unbeknownst to RAISHANI, a confidential source working at the direction of law enforcement (the “CS”). In the course of those meetings, RAISHANI admitted to the CS that, some time ago, he had helped another person to travel overseas to join the Islamic State. RAISHANI told the CS, among other things, that he took that person to JFK Airport and gave him money on the day of his departure for the Islamic State. RAISHANI expressed regret to the CS at not having traveled himself to join ISIS at that time, and RAISHANI revealed that, as of April 2017, he was actively planning to travel abroad to join and serve ISIS. RAISHANI indicated that he aspired to join ISIS in Syria and that he aimed to travel before the end of Ramadan, an Islamic holy month that ran from approximately May 26 through June 24 of this year. In June 2017, RAISHANI made preparations to leave, including by paying off debts and purchasing clothing that he intended to wear for training with ISIS overseas. On June 21, 2017, RAISHANI attempted to board a flight bound for Turkey (via Portugal) at JFK Airport, where he was arrested by the FBI and the NYPD.
RAISHANI, 30, of the Bronx, New York, is charged in the Superseding Indictment with three counts of violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B, by allegedly conspiring to provide, providing and attempting to provide, and aiding and abetting the provision and attempted provision of material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD, and the NYPD’s Intelligence Division. Mr. Kim also thanked the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, as well as the New York Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and Complaint, and the descriptions of the Superseding Indictment and Complaint set forth below, are only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[2] Communications and conversations discussed herein are described in substance and in part.
