The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for
the National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito for the
District of New Jersey and Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie of the
FBI’s Newark, New Jersey Division.
Saadeh previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D.
Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of conspiring with
others to provide material support to ISIS.
Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
“ISIS is a threat to the people of the United States, both
here and abroad, and the National Security Division will aggressively
investigate and prosecute all who seek aid it,” said Assistant Attorney General
Demers. “I applaud the dedication of the
agents at the FBI and the Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force and the prosecutors
here at the Department of Justice, who together thwarted the defendant’s
attempt to fight for ISIS against the U.S. and its allies.”
“Saadeh traveled overseas for the sole purpose of joining
and fighting for ISIS, an international terrorist organization that has
repeatedly taken and threatened to take the lives of our citizens and allies
all over the world,” said U.S. Attorney Carpenito. “Thanks to the intervention of the FBI-Newark
Joint Terrorism Task Force and federal prosecutors on this case, Saadeh’s
criminal aspirations were never realized.
Instead of joining ISIS’ ranks, he will spend the next several years in
prison.”
“I want to commend the work of the FBI's Joint Terrorism
Task Force investigators and prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's office who
worked countless hours throughout this investigation to protect the community
in their execution of the FBI's Counterterrorism strategy to detect, penetrate
and disrupt potential acts of terrorism in the United States and abroad,” said
Special Agent in Charge Ehrie.
According to documents filed in this and related cases and
statements made in court:
Saadeh admitted that prior to his arrest on Aug. 10, 2015,
by the FBI-Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), he planned to travel
overseas to join ISIS along with others.
Saadeh discussed his plans to join ISIS with his brother, Alaa Saadeh,
Samuel Rahamin Topaz, Munther Omar Saleh and Fareed Mumuni, and admitted that
at various times each of them indicated that they wanted to join ISIS. Saadeh also admitted that he and these other
men watched ISIS-related videos, some of which depicted the execution of
individuals – both Muslim and non-Muslim – regarded by ISIS as enemies.
On May 5, 2015, Saadeh departed the United States with plans
to travel overseas to join ISIS in furtherance of the conspiracy, according to
his statements in court. Saadeh admitted
that once he reached ISIS-controlled territory he intended to fight on behalf
of ISIS. Saadeh further admitted that
Saleh assisted him by giving him a contact who would facilitate his travel from
Turkey to ISIS in Syria.
Saadeh admitted that prior to his departure from the United
States, Saleh showed him technical drawings for making homemade bombs. Saadeh admitted that Saleh and Mumuni
discussed plans to carry out an attack in ISIS’ name using homemade bombs at
locations in New York City, including Times Square, the World Trade Center, and
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, in Queens, New York.
Saadeh admitted knowing that ISIS was a designated terrorist
organization and was taking over territory overseas, expelling non-Muslims from
their homes and executing individuals who did not obey ISIS’ commands.
Topaz and Alaa Saadeh have also pleaded guilty to conspiring
to provide material support to ISIS.
Alaa Saadeh was sentenced to 15 years in prison on May 10, 2016. Topaz is set to be sentenced on May 1. Saleh and Mumuni have both pleaded guilty to
related charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District
of New York. Saleh was sentenced to 18
years in prison on Feb. 6. Mumuni was sentenced to 17 years in prison on April
26.
Assistant Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney
Carpenito credited the special agents of the FBI, under the direction of
Special Agent in Charge Ehrie in Newark, and the Newark Joint Terrorism Task
Force with the successful investigation.
The JTTF is comprised of agents and officers from the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, Bergen County
Prosecutor’s Office, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State
Police, Paterson Police Department, and the NYPD, among other federal, state
and local law enforcement agencies.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Dennis C. Carletta and Francisco J. Navarro of the District of New Jersey, with
assistance from Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and Robert Sander of the National
Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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