A fourth man in New York City is facing charges in a previously announced plot to provide material support to Islamic State militants.
Federal and local authorities announced Monday that 26-year-old Dilkhayot Kasimov was indicted by a grand jury along with three other men who were arrested back in February. Kasimov is accused of working with another man, Abror Habibov, to raise $1,600 to help a third man, Akhror Saidakhmetov, to travel to Syria in order to join the Islamic extremist group. Court papers say Saidakhmetov was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport as he was attempting to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
Prosecutors also say a further investigation uncovered electronic messages from Kasimov urging others to participate in "violent jihad." He faces a total of 30 years in prison if convicted. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Wednesday.
“Terrorist support networks like the one this defendant (Kasimov) was involved in offer critical funding, travel logistics, and encouragement to persons seeking to join ISIL and other foreign terrorist organizations." U.S. Attorney Lynch said.
The arrests were the result of an investigation launched last year after a fourth man in the case, Abdurasul Juraboev, posted pro-Islamic State messages on an Uzbek-language website. Juraboev has also been accused of wanting to travel to Syria with Saidakhmetov to join the Islamic State.
Juraboev, Habibov and Saidakhmetov have all pleaded innocent in the case. All of the suspects are residents of Brooklyn, a borough, or section, of New York City.
