A Virginia-based man has been handed a prison sentence of more than 30 years for providing both financial and material support to the pan-international terror group Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Federal authorities revealed that 35-year-old Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa funneled thousands of dollars to ISIS between 2019 and 2022, primarily to aid female members of the group in escaping from detention camps. The funds also supported active ISIS fighters on the ground.
Chhipa’s attempt at financing ISIS was expansive and purposeful. Court documents show how he raised over $185,000 and used social media and other means to drum up donations. On a few occasions, he went miles away to collect money personally. The funds were later converted into cryptocurrency and sent on to Turkey, where they were smuggled across the border into Syria for ISIS operatives.
The Justice Department identified one of Chhipa’s main associates as an ISIS cell member residing in Syria, who also supported terrorist operations, prison escapes, and spending on fighters’ operations.
Chhipa’s actions were not unseen. After a proper investigation conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, he was arrested and charged. In December 2024, a federal jury sentenced him to prison on five counts — one for conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and four for providing or attempting to provide such support.
Also read: Terror Groups seek Crypto donations using Monero: Alarming UN report
