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Home Front: WoT
Akron: OH man who supported ISIS sentenced to 16 years in federal prison
2018-06-23
[Cleveland.com] A Sheffield Lake man who bought an AK-47 from an undercover FBI agent with the purpose of supporting the Islamic State terrorist group was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in federal prison.

Amir Al-Ghazi, 41, received the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi in Akron after reaching an agreement with federal prosecutors to admit to charges and cooperate with the government. The agreement led Al-Ghazi to take the stand in March against a North Carolina man in another terrorism case.
That would be Erick Jamal Hendricks, who contacted Mr. Al-Ghazi on social media to oersuade him to form an ISIS cell. Mr. Hendricks is clearly an extrovert, because he was also social media friends with Elton Simpson and Nadir Hamid Soofi, the Garland Texas attackers who failed so miserably despite FBI encouragement.
At his sentencing he said that he wanted to prove to the judge that he had sworn off his previously-held extremist views for good.

"My speech was violent at the time and I can do nothing but apologize for that," he said.

Al-Ghazi tried for months to buy an assault weapon to use as a "prop" in propaganda videos, Assistant US Attorney Shepherd said. However, chats Al-Ghazi had with informants also showed that he tried to recruit a "squad" for U.S.-based attacks, the prosecutor explained.

He finally succeeded, or so he thought, in June 2015, when he paid $400 to an undercover FBI agent in North Olmsted. He pleaded guilty in March 2016 to attempting to provide material support to ISIS, as well as weapons charges.

Al-Ghazi has said his path to supporting ISIS was fueled by anger and drug abuse and that he frequently posted "crazy messages on Twitter" to get a rise out of people.
Posted by:Anguper Hupomosing9418

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