NEW YORK (PIX11) – A Brooklyn man flew to Saudi Arabia to join ISIS, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced on Thursday.
Rasheedul Mowla, 28, has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support or resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.
“Rasheedul Mowla wasn’t just planning to join ISIS—he was ready to kill and die for them,” said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “That kind of threat demands a swift response, and thanks to the work of the NYPD and our federal partners, it was stopped before anyone got hurt. This case underscores the importance of constant vigilance and the critical role our investigators play in keeping New York and the entire country safe.”
Mowla traveled to the Middle East in 2017 to celebrate an Islamic holiday. While there, he attempted to enter Syria and join the Islamic State. He was ultimately apprehended and deported back to the States, according to court documents.
Upon returning to New York, Mowla was stopped by FBI agents. In an interview with the agents, he admitted to traveling overseas to join ISIS. He also told agents that he wanted to live under ISIS’s self-declared caliphate and was willing to fire weapons against others on behalf of ISIS and had planned to die for ISIS.
Mowla faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
It remains unclear how Mowla was indoctrinated by the Islamic State while living in New York.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
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