Former Indiana Resident Charged With Providing and Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS

Samantha Marie Elhassani, aka Samantha Sally, 32, formerly of Elkhart, Indiana, was charged on Aug. 22, in a two count indictment with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated terrorist organization, and aiding and abetting individuals in providing material support to ISIS.

The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II for the Northern District of Indiana, and Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division.

The indictment alleges that from the fall of 2014 through summer of 2015,  Elhassani provided material support and resources to ISIS knowing that the organization was a designated terrorist organization, and knowing that the organization has engaged in and was engaging in terrorist activity and terrorism.  Elhassani, is also charged with aiding and abetting two individuals in providing themselves as personnel to ISIS.  Under both charges she is alleged to have procured tactical gear and provided funds to support individual A and B in providing themselves as personnel for ISIS.  In July of 2018, Elhassani was transferred from the custody of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to U.S. law enforcement and charged with making false statements to the FBI in the Northern District of Indiana.    

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Indianapolis Division and the Indianapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.