Justice Dept. Brings Charges for Attempted Material Support to al-Shabaab
The Justice Department unsealed a complaint charging a New Jersey man with attempted material support of terrorism.
Published by The Lawfare Institute
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On Dec. 29, 2023, the Justice Department charged a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, Karrem Nasr, for his attempt to provide “material support or resources” to al-Shabaab. According to the complaint, Nasr “has repeatedly expressed his desire and plans to join al Shabaab and wage jihad” since at least November 2023.
In communications with a confidential FBI source and online posts, the defendant said that he had long considered “engaging in jihad” and that “he was particularly motivated to become a jihadi” by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel. Nasr wrote on social media that jihad was “‘coming soon to a US location near you.’” Nasr made flight and lodging arrangements, the complaint alleges, in preparation for travel to Kenya “to meet members of al Shabaab for further travel to Somalia to join and train with the group.” Moreover, according to the complaint, Nasr revealed to the FBI informant that he was planning to delete his cellphone and computer data so that “law enforcement would not be able to recover evidence of his jihadi activities from those devices” if he were to be detained.
You can read the complaint here or below:
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