Virginia Man Sentenced to Over 30 Years for Crypto-Funded Terror Support to ISIS

Springfield resident sent more than $185,000 in cryptocurrency to fund ISIS operations and prison escapes

A 35-year-old man from Springfield, Virginia, has been sentenced to more than 30 years in federal prison for orchestrating a crypto-financing operation that supported the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa was convicted of providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation and will serve a 364-month sentence.

Between October 2019 and October 2022, Chhipa exploited social media platforms to raise funds, travelling long distances to collect cash in person and converting it into cryptocurrency. He then funnelled the funds to associates in Turkey, who smuggled the money into Syria to directly support ISIS members. The financial support facilitated prison escapes, the sustenance of female ISIS operatives, and broader terror-related activities.

The US Department of Justice highlighted that Chhipa sent over $185,000 in cryptocurrency as part of the conspiracy. His principal co-conspirator, an active ISIS member in Syria, coordinated these efforts to back ongoing insurgent operations and radical ideology enforcement.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi commented on the severity of the case, stating:

This defendant directly financed ISIS in its efforts to commit vile terrorist atrocities against innocent citizens in America and abroad… If you fund terrorism, we will prosecute you and put you behind bars for decades.

FBI Director Kash Patel underscored the seriousness of aiding terror groups through financial channels, reiterating the Bureau’s commitment to prosecuting those who enable terrorist agendas.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Prosecution was led by Assistant US Attorney Anthony T. Aminoff and former Assistant US Attorney Amanda St. Cyr of the Eastern District of Virginia, alongside Trial Attorney Andrew John Dixon and former Trial Attorney Andrea Broach of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

The conviction and sentencing mark a significant victory for counterterrorism and cybersecurity enforcement, particularly in addressing the evolving threat of digital currency misuse in terrorist financing.

Read the press release here.