Young Ohio Man Attempts To Run Away And Join ISIS, Faces 20 Years Instead

An Ohio man who was born in Iraq pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to provide support to ISIS and ISIS-K, the Department of Justice announced on Monday.

Naser Almadaoji, 22, of Beavercreek, Ohio, purchased a plane ticket for Oct. 24, 2018, then was arrested after checking in for his flight and getting a boarding pass, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Almadaoji intended to fly to Astana, Kazakhstan, then from there to be smuggled into Afghanistan where he would be trained by ISIS-K.

Almadaoji said he wanted “weapons experts training, planning and executing, hit and run, capturing high-value targets, ways to break into homes and avoid security guards. That type of training,” from someone he believed to be an ISIS supporter, according to the DOJ.

Almadaoji had already traveled to Egypt and Jordan in 2018 where he had hoped to join the ISIS affiliate group ISIS Wilayat Sinai but failed.

He contacted someone who he believed to be an ISIS supporter online about how to make a car bomb. Almadaoji said that he wanted to start a conflict between anti-government militias and the U.S. federal government. Almadaoji also told his “contact” that he was “always willing” to help with “projects” in the U.S.

Almadaoji made a recording of himself pledging allegiance to the leader of ISIS and translated one of the terror organization’s Arabic documents to English, according to the DOJ. He told the contact who he believed to be part of ISIS, “don’t thank me … it’s my duty.”

Almadaoji is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 31 and will face up to 20 years in prison.

ISIS-K is an affiliate of ISIS that first emerged in Pakistan around 2015 and is made up of militants from other Pakistani groups including the Taliban. ISIS-K militants believe the Taliban is not pure and not extremist enough, the “K” stands for the Khorasan province in Afghanistan and Pakistan.