Michigan Man Convicted of Supporting ISIS & Building Explosives in Domestic Terrorism Plot

In a major counterterrorism breakthrough, a Michigan man has been convicted by a federal jury for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a proscribed foreign terrorist organisation, and for possessing an illegal destructive device.

This conviction highlights the growing threat of homegrown terrorism and demonstrates the US government's firm stance against those who attempt to aid extremist groups.

Attempted Support for Terrorism & ISIS Recruitment Efforts

The individual, 37-year-old Aws Mohammed Naser, was found guilty after a five-week trial of seeking to provide personnel and services to ISIS. The jury concluded that Naser knowingly aligned himself with the group’s violent ideology, aiming to join their ranks overseas and subsequently plot attacks on US soil when thwarted.

Naser’s activities included repeated attempts to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS. After failing to board international flights in both Detroit and Chicago, he returned to Michigan, where he escalated his efforts by acquiring drones and building a bomb.

Radicalisation & Use of Online Terrorist Propaganda

Investigators revealed that Naser had been radicalised through extremist Salafi-Jihadist content, which he widely disseminated via his YouTube channel. He built a close relationship with known jihadist Russell Dennison, who joined a precursor group to ISIS and died in Syria in 2019.

After prison time for a robbery connected to his failed attempt to flee the country, Naser resumed his support for foreign terrorist organisations from within the United States. He infiltrated ISIS-affiliated chat rooms, consumed propaganda, and experimented with explosives in his basement.

FBI Counterterrorism Success & Law Enforcement Response

FBI agents from the Joint Terrorism Task Force searched Naser’s home in 2017 and discovered a bomb that could be readily assembled. The conviction follows years of surveillance and collaboration among law enforcement agencies determined to prevent domestic terrorism plots.

“The defendant spent years trying to support ISIS – first by attempting to join its ranks overseas, then by turning to explosives and extremist networks on American soil,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. added:

Naser tried to travel and fight for ISIS overseas but was turned away. So he turned his fight inward on America, gathered drones, and built a bomb in his basement.

Sentencing & Implications for National Security

Naser now faces up to 20 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organisation and up to 15 years for possessing a destructive device. Sentencing will be determined by a federal judge based on statutory guidelines.

The conviction serves as a stark reminder of the continuing threat posed by individuals radicalised within the United States and the crucial role of federal authorities in identifying and neutralising such risks.

Read the full press release here.