Kyse S. Abushanab, 27, of Budd Lake, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to a one-count information charging him with concealing material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, between in or around March 2021 and in or around January 2022, Abushanab compiled resources, including information pertaining to the manufacture and use of weapons of mass destruction, with the aim of providing members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS or the Islamic State), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and its supporters with a repository of information and resources to help carry out ISIS’s mission. This material included, among other things, videos and documents showing step-by-step instructions on how to make suicide belts or vests, detonators and timers, improvised bombs, and other explosives and incendiary devices. In an effort to evade detection by law enforcement, Abushanab took steps to conceal his efforts to assist ISIS by, among other things, using encrypted applications, untraceable email accounts, and a secured cloud storage space to gather and store information on how to make a variety of weapons of mass destruction.
The charge of concealment of provision of material support carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 24.
Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna for the District of New Jersey; Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Ryan White of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
The original announcement can be found here.