US convicts Michigan man of attempting to support ISIS, possessing destructive device

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - A US federal jury convicted a man in the state of Michigan on charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS (Daesh) and possessing a destructive device, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Aws Mohammed Naser, 37, formerly of Westland, was found guilty Tuesday following a five-week trial after the jury deliberated for six hours.

The jury unanimously determined Naser attempted to provide material support to ISIS in the form of personnel, including himself, and services, while knowing the organization was a designated terror group in the US.

It also convicted Naser of being a felon in possession of a destructive device, adding to his terrorism-related charges.

- Evidence of radicalization

Evidence showed Naser became radicalized and frequently posted "extreme Islamist ideological content" on his YouTube channel and other social media platforms, according to a statement.

“Naser sought to join a terrorist organization and attempted to travel to Syria, multiple times, to join ISIS’s violent attacks against the US,” said Assistant Director Don Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division.

Naser faces up to 20 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a terror organization and up to 15 years for possessing a destructive device.

A federal district judge will determine his sentence after considering US sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.