Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Alqaysi, a former Iraqi refugee living in Richmond, has pleaded guilty to providing material support to Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the plea, stating that Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham is a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
From 2015 to 2020, Alqaysi assisted Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham by creating and distributing propaganda for the group's Kalachnikov team. He also provided hacking tutorials, stolen credit card information, and fake identification documents to Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham members, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted Alqaysi's guilty plea and set sentencing for June 5. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The FBI Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations handled the case, with prosecution by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter and NSD Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe. Alqaysi remains in custody until sentencing, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
