Arizona man accused of supporting Islamic militants

ARIZONA (Tucson News Now) - A 42-year-old Arizona man accused of providing support to Islamic militants was indicted Thursday on multiple charges, authorities said.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Ahmed Mohammed El Gammal, aka Jammie Gammal, was arrested Monday in Avondale.

El Gammal was indicted on one count of providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, one count of conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, one count of receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization and one count of conspiring to receive military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization. He faces up to 20 years on each of the providing material support charges, 10 years on the receiving military-type training charge and five years on the conspiracy to receive military-type training charge.

Federal authorities said el Gammal actively supported the group, which calls itself the Islamic State, online and helped a New York college student receive terrorist training in Syria.

"Individuals like Gammal who allegedly serve as facilitators for ISIL to fuel the hatred and radicalization that keep terrorist organizations like ISIL alive," said U.S. Attorney Bharara.

The following is a time line of El Gammal's involvement in ISIL, according to the indictment:

• In August 2014, a 24-year-old New York City resident learned through social media that El Gammal had posted social media comments that supported ISIL. Minutes later, the N.Y. resident contacted El Gammal. Over the next several months, he and El Gammal continued corresponding over the Internet.

• In October 2014, El Gammal traveled to Manhattan to meet the New York resident, who was enrolled in college. While in New York City, El Gammal also contacted another co-conspirator who lived in Turkey about the student's plans to travel to the Middle East. El Gammal later provided the student with social media contact information for the co-conspirator in Turkey. Thereafter, El Gammal and the person in Turkey had multiple social media exchanges about the college student traveling to the Middle East.

• In late January 2015, the college student abruptly left New York City for Istanbul. After the student arrived in Turkey, El Gammal continued to communicate with him over the Internet, providing advice on traveling toward Syria and on meeting with the co-conspirator in Turkey. After the college student arrived in Syria, he received military-type training from ISIL from early February and at least early May.

• On May 7, 2015, the former college student reported to El Gammal that "everything [was] going according to plan..

"This is another example of how social media is utilized for nefarious and criminal purposes around the world," said Diego G. Rodriguez, assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York Field Office. "These relationships were allegedly made and solidified through the internet while Gammal was in Arizona. The identification of the conspiracy, and arrest today, demonstrate how federal and local law enforcement continue to work together to mitigate such threats globally and protect the United States."