Court convicted our people in ISIS crypto funding case; sentenced to more than 30 years
A U.S. citizen from Springfield, Virginia, was sentenced to three decades in federal prison for financially supporting the Islamic State (ISIS) using cryptocurrency, the country has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), individual Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, was sentenced to 364 months in prison on charges related to providing material support to ISIS.
Convictions and sentencing highlight the scope of support
Court documents show that Chhipa participated in an extension campaign between October 2019 and October 2022, during which he pooled funds to female ISIS members in Syria. The funds are used to assist with various activities, including escape attempts at detention camps and extensive support for ISIS operators.
Chhipa uses social media to solicit donations, accepts funds electronically, and sometimes a large distance occurs to collect in-kind cash. Later, he converted the funds into cryptocurrencies, which he transferred through Turkey’s intermediaries and smuggled into Syria for use by ISIS members.
The Justice Department said Chipa’s efforts involved sending more than $185,000 in cryptocurrency to support terrorist groups. Prosecutors believe this financial support enables ISIS operators to continue their activities.
“The defendant directly provided ISIS with an effort to create evil terror atrocities against innocent citizens of the United States and abroad,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.
FBI Director Kash Patel added that the case highlights the bureau’s commitment to all individuals supporting terrorism, whether that support is financial or operational.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office led the investigation, and federal prosecutors confirmed one conspiracy charge to provide material support or resources for designated foreign terrorist organizations, and four counts of providing and attempting to provide such support. The jury returned a guilty verdict in December 2024, leading to Thursday’s sentencing.
The role of crypto in terrorist financing has caused scrutiny
The U.S. Attorney’s Office stressed the seriousness of the Chhipa operation and noted that living in a country that values personal freedom has promoted financial support for violent extremist groups, which represents a serious violation of national security.
U.S. Attorney Erik S.
The press release also determined that Chhipa’s main accomplice was an ISIS member in Syria. This person played a role in raising funds for ISIS operations, including planned terrorist attacks and captivity.
The use of cryptocurrencies in the program reflects the trend of terrorist financing, and now digital assets are exploited for their chemical nature and the ease of cross-border transfer.
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