A man in Sheffield Lake has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for providing material support to ISIS and for being a felon in possession of firearms, according to the U.S Department of Justice.
Amir Said Rahman Al-Ghazi, 41, who changed his name from Robert C. McCollum last year, pledged his support to the terrorist group and Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi via social media in 2014, according to the DOJ.
From July 2014 to June 2015, authorities said Al-Ghazi made multiple statements to try and persuade others to join ISIS. Investigators also revealed he expressed his own desires to carry out an attack on the U.S. and had attempted to purchase an AK-47 assault rifle.
Al-Ghazi communicated with people he believed to be members of ISIS in the Middle East and took steps to create propaganda videos for them, according to court documents.
“This case is a stark reminder that ISIS is more than an abstract threat,” said U.S Attorney Justin Herdman. “Through social media and other means, ISIS and groups like it seek to radicalize people of all backgrounds into its world of violence.”
