DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – A Michigan man who called himself a “soldier of the Caliphate” is headed to federal prison for the next two decades after a jury convicted him of attempting to support ISIS and possessing bomb-making materials in his basement.
Federal prosecutors say 38-year-old Aws Mohammed Naser of Westland spent years diving deep into extremist ideology, trying to join terrorist groups overseas and later shifting gears into helping ISIS from right here in Michigan.
In a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Michigan, authorities said Naser built and experimented with explosives, collected drone equipment and downloaded instructions for making improvised explosive devices.
“Son of the Islamic State.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Naser communicated with jihadist contacts overseas, attempted to travel abroad to join terror groups and openly described himself online as a “son of the Islamic State.” Investigators also discovered what prosecutors described as a ready-to-assemble destructive device during searches tied to the case.
FBI says threat was stopped before lives were lost.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case, with officials emphasizing the sentence sends a message to anyone considering supporting terrorist organizations inside the United States.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. called Naser a “traitor” who “repaid” America by building bombs and aiding an enemy organization.
This time, the only trip Naser will be taking is a long one through the federal prison system.
