On May 8, the US Department of Justice sentenced a man from Virginia to more than 30 years in prison for sending cryptocurrency to members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa was found guilty in December 2023 and received his sentence on May 7. Judge David Novak sentenced him to 30 years and 4 months behind bars.
Between October 2019 and October 2022, Chhipa raised over $185,000 and sent it to women linked to the Islamic State in Syria. These funds helped them escape detention camps and continued to support the group’s activities.
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Prosecutors said he used social media to ask for money and sometimes traveled long distances to collect it in person. After receiving donations, he converted the money into cryptocurrency and sent it to people in Turkey. From there, the funds were smuggled into Syria to reach Islamic State members.
A federal jury found Chhipa guilty on five charges—one for conspiracy to support a terrorist group and four for sending or attempting to send that support.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said:
This defendant directly financed ISIS in its efforts to commit vile terrorist atrocities against innocent citizens in America and abroad.
She added that the prison term was meant to show that anyone who finances terrorism will face serious legal consequences, including decades in prison.
Meanwhile, on May 5, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against the Karen National Army (KNA), a militia group based in Myanmar. What were the allegations? Read the full story.
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