A 27-year-old New York woman pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday to providing material support to ISIS. Zoobia Shahnaz, of Brentwood, faces 20 years in prison, restitution, criminal forfeiture and a fine for wiring over $150,000 to terrorists and shell organizations that were fronts for ISIS in Turkey, China and Pakistan.
“Specifically, Shahnaz obtained a loan for approximately $22,500 by way of materially false pretenses, representations and promises,” said the Department of Justice. “She also fraudulently applied for and used over a dozen credit cards, which she used to purchase approximately $62,000 in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies online. She then engaged in a pattern of financial activity, culminating in several wire transactions totaling over $150,000 to individuals and shell entities in Pakistan, China and Turkey that were fronts for ISIS.”
“As alleged, the defendant Zoobia Shahnaz engaged in a bank fraud scheme, purchased Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and laundered money overseas, intending to put thousands of dollars into the coffers of terrorists,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde.
— US Attorney EDNY (@EDNYnews) December 14, 2017
Shahnaz collected the funds between May 2017 and July 2017, and was arrested on July 31 as she attempted to board a flight at John F. Kennedy International Airport to Istanbul, from where she planned to travel to Syria to join the terrorist group.
SEE: OIG Report: 20,000 ISIS Terrorists in Iraq and Syria; Fight Is ‘Years, If Not Decades’ from Over
