WASHINGTON – Two men from Woodbridge, Virginia were charged with terrorism offenses Saturday in connection with an attempt to join ISIL in Syria.
Joseph Hassan Farrokh, 28, was arrested Friday morning at Richmond International Airport. He was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Citing criminal complaints dating back to Nov. 20, federal prosecutors claimed that Farrokh purchased an airline ticket Dec. 21, 2015, for a flight departing Friday from Richmond, Virginia with an ultimate arrival destination of Jordan, and would then travel to Syria with the intentions of joining ISIL.
Farrokh is a U.S. citizen originally from Pennsylvania. Prosecutors claim he lied to family members about the nature of this trip, stating that he intended to study in Saudi Arabia.
The second man, Amin Mohamed Elhassan, 25, was picked up by federal agents after driving Farrokh to the airport, federal prosecutors allege.
Elhassan, who is a legal permanent U.S. resident originally from Sudan, was charged with aiding and abetting Farrokh’s attempt to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Federal prosecutors claim that Elhassan introduced Farrokh to a person who Elhassan believed maintained connections to individuals engaged in jihad overseas. Prosecutors alleged that Elhassan knew of Farrokh’s plans to travel to Syria to join ISIL, and said that he knew he was lying to his family about the nature of the trip.
If convicted, the men face a maximum 20 years in prison. They are scheduled to appear in federal court on Tuesday.
