A Kentucky man who traveled to Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) is facing sentencing after being charged with terrorism-related offenses. The 34-year-old man, a dual U.S.-Bosnian citizen, left the U.S. for Istanbul in 2014 alongside two co-conspirators. They later joined ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to the Department of Justice, the man attended an ISIS training camp where he received military-type training. He then joined an ISIS fighting unit composed primarily of Bosnian foreign fighters and participated in an ISIS offensive in Kobane, Syria.
Officials revealed that the man's social media posts showed him in camouflage clothing, standing in front of a truck equipped with an anti-aircraft gun and the ISIS flag. He and his co-conspirators discussed using anti-aircraft weapons to shoot at planes, as well as topics related to jihad, martyrdom, and fighting for ISIS.
The man has been in federal custody since December 2021 after being deported from Turkey. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5 and could face a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, and supervised release for life. He has been charged with providing material support to ISIS, conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, and receiving military-type training from the terrorist organization.
