Chicago man convicted of using social media to recruit for ISIS, and try to spread violent jihad
A Chicago man has been convicted of using social media to recruit ISIS operatives and try to spread violent jihad, and encourage people to carry out attacks on behalf of the terrorist group.
Following a bench trial in federal court in Chicago, Ashraf Al Safoo, 41, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce, one count of conspiracy to intentionally access a protected computer without authorization, four counts of intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization, and four counts of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Al Safoo was arrested in October 2018, following a raid at his home in the Budlong Woods neighborhood.
Federal prosecutors said he is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Iraq, and moved to the U.S. in 2008.
He was accused of working with ISIS to various social media accounts to spread propaganda supporting violent jihad and recruit operatives to carry out terrorist attacks for the Islamic State.
Prosecutors said he is a member of Khattab Media Foundation, an internet group that has sworn allegiance to ISIS, and spread propaganda online promoting violent jihad. Images and videos he created in coordination with ISIS allegedly included include images of violence during Christmas, celebrations of terrorist attacks, and mass shootings in the U.S.
In one social media post, Al Safoo allegedly encouraged Khattab members to post pro-ISIS information "to cause confusion and spread terror within the hearts of those who disbelieved."
"Work hard, brothers, edit the issue into short clips, take the pictures out of it and publish the efforts of your brothers in the pages of the apostates. Participate in the war, and spread terror, the [Islamic] State does not want you to watch it only, rather, it incites you, and if you are unable to, use it to incite others," Al Safoo allegedly wrote in another post.
According to the charges, one video created by Khattab featured a computer-generated image of a family standing around a Christmas tree, with a castle in the background, before cutting to images of explosions, featuring images of dead and injured children.
The video then cuts to the words "Now listen you dogs of hell. This is a message and more are going to follow. This is just the beginning. Our gifts are now ready," before showing a Christmas present containing a ticking bomb. The video then cuts to a news clip of a mass shooting; an image of a soldier dressed in black, holding a detonator; then landmarks from various world landmarks; and the soldier detonating a bomb.
In November 2017, Al Safoo allegedly used a social media app to encourage people to help ISIS in any way possible.
Sentencing for Al Safoo has been scheduled for Oct. 9. He faces up to 130 years in prison.
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