New Delhi: A Pakistani doctor, living in the US on a work visa, was sentenced to 18 years in jail for attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organisation, ISIS, media reports said.
The Pakistani doctor identifed as Muhammad Masood was formerly employed as a research coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under an H-1B visa, Geo News reported.
“A Rochester man was sentenced today to 216 months in prison, equivalent to 18 years, followed by five years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation,” a press release issued by the US Department of Justice stated.
As per the official statement, Masood’s activity from January 2020 to March 2020 showed he became a part of the militant outfit and provided material support in carrying out terrorist acts in the US.
“Between January 2020 and March 2020, Masood used an encrypted messaging application to facilitate his travel overseas to join a terrorist organisation,” the statement added, Geo News reported.
It further stated that the Pakistani man made multiple statements about his desire to join ISIS and also pledged his allegiance to the designated terrorist organisation and its leader.
“Masood also expressed his desire to conduct ‘lone wolf’ terrorist attacks in the US. February 21, 2020, he bought a plane ticket from Chicago, Illinois, to Amman, Jordan, with plans to travel to Syria from there,” Geo News reported.
However, his travel plans changed March 16, 2020, owing to the border closure by Jordan under the coronavirus travel restrictions.
He then decided to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, where he would meet a person who he believed would help him with travel via a cargo ship to deliver him to the territory claimed by ISIS.
March 19, 2020, Masood traveled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California.
However, he was eventually arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) upon arrival at the airport, Geo News reported.
Masood pleaded guilty last year August 16 to attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson sentenced him to 18 years in prison on Friday, after the completion of investigations by the FBI’s JTTF.
IANS