According to NBC investigative reporter Scott Macfarlane, a Maryland man has been arrested by the FBI for planning terrorist attacks, and receiving payments FROM ISIS to do it.
BREAKING: Edgewood, Maryland man charged w/ supporting ISIS, lying to FBI when questioned
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
If this is accurate, then it would be the first proven case of a directly ordered and funded ISIS attack planned on Americans. And that means there are possibly more on the way.
More from NBC Washington:
The FBI has arrested an Edgewood, Maryland man suspected of providing material support to ISIS.
Mohamad Elshinawy allegedly pledged his allegiance to ISIL and said his “soul was over there with the jihadists.”
The FBI said Elshinawy was instructed by ISIS to “cause destruction” or to conduct a terrorist attack in the United States. They say he allegedly received payments from a suspected ISIS operative through Western Union and PayPal by pretending to sell printers on eBay to mask the payments.
The FBI said Elshinawy used an Internet “hot spot” allowing him to access the Internet quasi-anonymously. They say he used a social media account under the pseudonym “Egyptt in USA.”
The FBI said he declared a “love of jihad.”
Elshinawy was formally charged Monday in U.S. District court in Baltimore.
He is also accused of lying to FBI agents who questioned him earlier this year.
He had been under investigation since early this year. The FBI says Elshinawy appears to have masked or cut off his communication with ISIS after special agents questioned him in July.
More from MacFarlane:
FBI: Maryland man was instructed by ISIS to "cause destruction" or conduct "terrorist attack in the U.S." Man charged w/ supporting terror
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
FBI: Edgewood, Md supported ISIL. FBI says man was instructed to "do something destructive that ISIL could claim"
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
FBI: Edgewood, Maryland man pretended to sell printers on eBay to mask payments from ISIL
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
FBI: Maryland man received payments from suspected ISIL operative through Western Union, PayPal
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
FBI: Maryland man charged w/ supporting ISIL "declared.. love of jihad, desire to eliminate 'the bastards..commitment to breaking the Cross"
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
FBI: Edgewood, Maryland man charged w/ supporting ISIL used "internet hot spot"… allowing him to access the internet quasi-anonymously
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
FBI: Maryland man charged w/ supporting ISIL used social media account under pseudonym "Egyptt in USA" (two 't's)
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
FBI: February 17, 2015 – Edgewood, Md pledged his allegiance to ISIL, stated "his soul was over there with the jihadists"
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
FBI: Maryland ISIL supporter smiled when hearing news of execution of 21 Egyptian nationals in Libya by ISIL extremists
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
FBI declines official comment to @nbcwashington about arrest of Edgewoood, Md man charged w/ supporting ISIL
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
NEW: Maryland man charged w/ supporting ISIL lives 2 minutes away from US Army Aberdeen Proving Grounds
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
FBI seeks court permission to "copy the computer hardware" recovered from Edgewood, Md home man charged w/ supporting ISIL
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
FBI: Suspected Maryland ISIL supporter dropped communication channels known to FBI & "substituted other methods", more covert
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
Prosecutors: Maryland man used social media, email accounts & "pay as you go" phones to communicate with #ISIL
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 14, 2015
Feds say Edgewood man pledged allegiance to ISIS, took nearly $9,000 from group "to do harm on U.S. soil." pic.twitter.com/aRSBYmt9mf
— Keith Daniels Fox45 (@KeithDFox45) December 14, 2015