A Virginia man has been sentenced to more than 30 years in federal prison after being found guilty of financing the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) through cryptocurrency transfers.
According to the Department of Justice, on May 8, U.S. District Judge David Novak handed down a sentence of 30 years and four months to 35-year-old Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa. The verdict followed a December conviction on five terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Chhipa orchestrated a multi-year scheme from October 2019 to October 2022, collecting and funneling over $185,000 to female ISIS affiliates held in Syrian prison camps. The funds helped facilitate prison escapes and further combat activities, prosecutors said.
Authorities revealed that Chhipa solicited donations via social media platforms and travelled extensively across the U.S. to gather funds in person. He allegedly converted the money into cryptocurrency and transmitted it to contacts in Turkey, who smuggled it across the border into Syria.
“This defendant directly financed ISIS in its efforts to commit vile terrorist atrocities against innocent citizens in America and abroad,”
said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement following the sentencing.
“This severe sentence illustrates that if you fund terrorism, we will prosecute you and put you behind bars for decades.”
Chhipa’s attempts to evade law enforcement came to light during an FBI investigation. After agents raided his home in August 2019, he withdrew cash, paid a stranger at a Taco Bell for a ride, and began an elaborate escape plan. Prosecutors say he used aliases and newly created email accounts to purchase bus tickets under different names.
He eventually travelled from Virginia to Mexico, then to Guatemala, where he bought plane tickets to Panama, Germany, and Egypt. However, an Interpol Blue Notice thwarted his plans, and he was deported back to the United States.
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