In Related Case, Canadian National Faces Extradition to the
U.S. for Conspiring to Provide Foreign Fighters and Money in Support of Violent
Terrorist Acts in Syria
Marchello Dsaun McCain, a convicted violent felon and the
brother of Douglas McCain, the first known American who died fighting for the
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), was sentenced in federal court today
to 10 years in prison for his illegal possession of a cache of firearms and
body armor and making false statements to federal agents involving
international terrorism.
In a related case, the United States unsealed a two-count
indictment charging Canadian national and former San Diego resident Abdullahi
Ahmed Abdullahi with providing, and conspiring with Douglas and other
individuals in the United States and Canada to provide, material support to terrorists
engaged in violent activities in Syria, that is, a conspiracy to murder, kidnap
and maim persons in a foreign country.
On March 9, 2014, Douglas McCain departed the U.S. and
traveled to Syria where he joined and fought for ISIS. Approximately five months later, on or about
Aug. 25, 2014, Douglas McCain was killed in Syria fighting a battle against the
Free Syrian Army. Following Douglas McCain’s death, Federal Bureau of
Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force (FBI-JTTF) agents interviewed Marchello
McCain on several occasions from Aug. 26, 2014 through Jan. 23, 2015, when
agents arrested him on federal firearms charges.
In January 2016, Marchello McCain, who was previously
convicted of two felony crimes of violence in Minnesota involving assault with
a firearm, pleaded guilty to five counts of possession of firearms and
ammunition by a felon and one count of possession of body armor by a violent
felon. Eight months later, in September
2016, he pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI-JTTF agents
concerning his assistance to and knowledge of individuals providing material
support (personnel and money) to individuals engaged in violent terrorist
activities abroad and ISIS, including Douglas McCain and Abdullahi.
As part of his guilty pleas, McCain admitted that he made
material false statements to the agents about his knowledge of the purpose of
his brothers’ travel abroad and the methods of payment and source of monies to
fund such travel. McCain acknowledged that he possessed over nine firearms,
which included a stolen firearm and several semi-automatic 9 mm pistols, an
AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle and an M1 Carbine .30 caliber semi-automatic
rifle with a large capacity magazine. Marchello McCain also admitted that on
Feb. 13, 2014, approximately three weeks prior to Douglas McCain’s departure to
fight in Syria, Marchello McCain went to a San Diego gun range with his brother
and shot firearms, including an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle and a 12-gauge
pump-action shotgun.
In imposing sentence, the court found that defendant’s
obstructive conduct frustrated, delayed and thwarted the United States’ efforts
to uncover the scope and membership of conspiracies to provide material support
to terrorists and a foreign terrorist organization, ISIS.
“ISIS has brought the war on terror closer to home by
directing and inspiring attacks in the U.S. and other countries, thereby
putting Americans lives in danger,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “By
lying to federal agents, Marchello McCain delayed, frustrated and thwarted an
investigation into a group that supplied U.S. and Canadian fighters to ISIS. We
are committed to doing whatever it takes to protect American lives here and
abroad.”
“Counterterrorism investigations are the highest priority
investigations conducted by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces,” commented FBI
Special Agent in Charge Eric S. Birnbaum. “When someone misleads or obstructs
counterterrorism investigations, this can adversely affect investigative
activity in these important cases. Today's sentence will hold Mr. McCain
accountable for his actions and dissuade others from lying to law enforcement
agents concerning international terrorism matters.”
The defendant’s lies, including his false statements
regarding the source and means of the financing of Douglas’ travel were not
only intended to prevent the United States from finding out about the
involvement of Abdullahi and others, but were also intended to prevent the
discovery of his own involvement.
As detailed in the United States’ pleadings, the defendant’s
involvement included: agreeing to travel to Syria and join his brother in
violent jihadist activities; assisting Douglas and others in traveling to Syria
to engage in violent jihadist activities by taking Douglas to a gun range to
target shoot semi-automatic weapons; depositing cash into his wife’s bank
account and letting Douglas use his wife’s credit card to purchase plane
tickets to Turkey, a known entry point for foreign fighters seeking to enter
Syria, and to make hotel reservations; regularly communicating with Douglas and
other individuals regarding the financial and logistical needs of foreign
fighters in Syria; wiring $800 to an ISIS operative in Turkey to support
Douglas and/or others engaged in violent jihadist activities; and engaging in
obstructive conduct to conceal the material support conspiracies.
Notwithstanding the obstructive conduct of McCain, the
United States continued its investigation of the terrorist activities of
Douglas McCain, Abdullahi and others. On March 10, 2017, a federal grand jury
in the Southern District of California returned a two-count sealed indictment
charging Abdullahi with conspiring to provide, and providing, material support
to terrorists.
On Sept. 15, 2017, pursuant to an extradition request by the
United States, Canadian authorities arrested Abdullahi. Abdullahi is currently
detained in Canadian custody without bail, pending an extradition hearing
scheduled for May 31, 2018. On January
3, 2018, the Abdullahi indictment was unsealed.
Abdullahi is also facing charges in Canada for a Jan. 9, 2014 armed
robbery of an Edmonton jewelry store.
The Abdullahi indictment alleges that from in or about
August 2013 through in or about November 2014, Abdullahi conspired with Douglas
and other individuals to provide personnel and money to individuals engaged in
terrorist activities in Syria, including the killing, kidnapping and maiming of
persons. The charged conspiracy alleges the participation and/or assistance of
Abdullahi and approximately 14 other individuals and spans four countries, the
United States, Canada, Turkey and Syria.
In preparation for their travels, Douglas and other members
of the conspiracy practiced with firearms in San Diego and Canada. According to
the indictment, Abdullahi, Douglas and others agreed to travel to Syria to
support and join terrorist fighters engaged in terrorist activity, including
the killing, kidnapping and maiming of persons.
In order to raise funds to support their efforts to support
and join terrorist fighters in Syria, members of the conspiracy encouraged
others to commit crimes against the “kuffar” (an Arabic term meaning infidels
or non-believers), such as theft. In furtherance of this material support
conspiracy, the indictment alleges that on Jan. 9, 2014, prior to the travel of
Douglas and another co-conspirator, Abdullahi committed an armed robbery of a
jewelry store in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in order to finance the travel of
Douglas and other members of the conspiracy to Syria. Thereafter, Abdullahi wired and caused others
to wire money to other members of the conspiracy in the United States --
including approximately $3,100 to Douglas – in order to finance the travel of
foreign fighters from North America to support and join terrorist fighters
engaged in terrorist activities in Syria.
Additionally, members of the conspiracy, including
Abdullahi, wired and caused money to be wired to third-party intermediaries in
Gaziantep, Turkey (located approximately 40 miles from the Syrian border) for
the purpose of supporting members of the conspiracy fighting and engaging in
terrorist activity in Syria, including the killing, kidnapping, an maiming of
persons.
The government alleges that because of the efforts of
Abdullahi and other co-conspirators, beginning in November 2013 through
November 2014, five co-conspirators, including Douglas McCain, traveled from
North America to Syria, via Turkey, and acted as foreign fighters in Syria
engaging in terrorist activity in Syria, including the murder of persons. Douglas McCain was killed in battle fighting
for ISIS in August 2014. The remaining
four co-conspirators were all killed in Syria in mid-November 2014.
DEFENDANT
Criminal Case No. 15CR0174-W
Marchello Dsaun McCain Age 35 San Diego, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
False Statements Involving International Terrorism – Title
18, U.S.C., Sections 1001(a)(2)
Maximum penalty: 8 years’ imprisonment and $250,000 fine
(per count)
Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition – Title 18,
U.S.C., Sections 922(g)(1)
Maximum penalty: 10 years’ imprisonment and $250,000 fine.
Felon in Possession of Body Armor by a Violent Felon – Title
18, U.S.C., Sections 931
Maximum penalty: 3 years’ imprisonment and $250,000 fine.
DEFENDANT
Criminal Case No. 17CR0622-W
Abdullahi Ahmed Abdullahi Age 33 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Terrorists – Title
18, U.S.C., Sections 2339A(a)
Maximum penalty: 8 years’ imprisonment and $250,000 fine
(per count)
Providing Material Support to Terrorists – Title 18, U.S.C.,
Sections 2339A(a)
Maximum penalty: 15 years’ imprisonment and $250,000 fine.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Air Marshal Service
Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security
Investigations
Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol
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