COLUMBUS – A 19-year-old Beavercreek man was arrested at John Glenn Columbus International Airport Wednesday on allegations that he planned to travel to Afghanistan to train with an Islamic State affiliated group.
The government accuses Naser Almadaoji of arranging to move through Kazakhstan to Afghanistan, where he intended to train with a group called ISIS Wilayat Khorasan.
Prosecutors say the Iraqi-born U.S. citizen is charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS-affiliated foreign terrorist organizations. A message was left with his attorney seeking comment on the charge.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Almadaoji pledged allegiance to ISIS and discussed starting a conflict between the U.S government and anti-government militias, allegedly recording a video of himself wearing a headscarf and pledging allegiance to the leader of the terror group.
The government says the defendant unsuccessfully tried to join a terrorist group after traveling to Egypt and Jordan in February.
According to the affidavit, Almadaoji began making travel plans to Kazakhstan in September and bought a plane ticket for travel on Oct. 24, intending to travel to Astana, Kazahkstan, where he planned to be smuggled into Afghanistan so that he could receive military training from the group.
The court documents claims that Almadaoji explained to an individual whom he believed to be in contact with ISIS that he wanted “weapons experts training, planning, executing, hit and run, capturing high value targets, ways to break into homes and avoid security guards. That type of training.”
Almadaoji also translated ISIS propaganda from Arabic to English and told his contact, whom he believed to be part of the group, “Don’t thank me . . . it’s my duty,” according to the court documents.
If convicted on the charge of providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, Almadaoji could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, according to nthe office of U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman.