Photo Courtesy of JFKIAT
Ahmed was arrested on Monday at JFK International Airport.
By Forum Staff
A young Ozone Park man on Monday was arrested by federal agents on charges of trying to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham, commonly known as ISIS, according to acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District Bridget Rohde.
Parveg Ahmed, 22, a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport and arraigned on Tuesday afternoon in Brooklyn.
As alleged in the complaint, Ahmed traveled to Saudi Arabia in June 2017, purportedly to celebrate an Islamic religious holiday. Upon his arrival, Ahmed attempted to travel to Syria to enter ISIS-controlled territory. He was detained in what Department of Justice officials described as “a Middle Eastern country bordering Syria.”
Previously, Ahmed had repeatedly expressed support on social media for ISIS and for individuals who provided support to the foreign terrorist organization’s mission of violent extremism. On July 17 of this year, agents assigned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force obtained a search warrant for Ahmed’s personal computer, and learned, among other things, that he had viewed or listened to recordings of radical Islamic faith leaders Anwar al-Awlaki, a United States-born cleric and prominent leader of the foreign terrorist organization al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who was killed on or about Sept. 30, 2011; and Abdullah el-Faisal, a Jamaican-born cleric, who was found guilty in the United Kingdom of, among other things, solicitation to commit murder, for preaching to followers to kill individuals, including Americans, because he deemed them to be enemies of Islam. On Aug. 28, 2017, JTTF agents obtained a search warrant for electronic devices found in Ahmed’s possession when he was detained attempting to travel to Syria. Examination of the devices revealed, among other things:
Messages sent to third parties expressing a desire to travel to ISIS-controlled territories.
A message explaining that Ahmed planned to join ISIS in Syria to wage violent jihad, stating, “[W]e have made it to Dawlatul Islam [ISIS] in Syria. In sha Allah [God willing] we will join the Jihad very soon and in Sha Allah [God willing] we will then join the ranks of the Shuhuda [martyrs]. The West has invaded the land of the Muslims and is constantly attacking it.” (EDITOR’S NOTE: Ahmed’s messages were not edited and published here verbatim.)
An internet browser history that indicates Ahmed was researching maps of ISIS-controlled locations.
Ahmed was deported to the U.S. on Monday and arrested at JFK. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
“As we allege, Parveg Ahmed attempted to travel to Syria aligning himself with ISIS instead of his fellow Americans. Like others before him who chartered a similar path to join this violent terror group, Ahmed now finds his journey ends the same way – in a New York courtroom answering for his actions,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Bill Sweeney, Jr. “The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force has a global reach and remains vigilant to the type of threat we allege was posed by Ahmed. I would like to thank all of our partner agencies for their continued vigilance. I would also encourage the community to notify law enforcement when they spot suspicious activity and behavior which helps the JTTF disrupt individuals aiming to conduct violence.”
