A Bronx home health aide was arrested at Kennedy Airport Wednesday night as he prepared to board a flight to Turkey in an apparent attempt to join ISIS, federal prosecutors say.
Authorities say the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NYPD began investigating Raishani in January when he contacted a confidential source working with law enforcement to tell him he wanted to join ISIS.
The charge of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He said he helped his friend buy supplies, and drove him to the airport, according to prosecutors.Raishani later told the informant that he regretted not going himself, prosecutors said.
At one point, Raishani told the undercover cop, who he believed also wanted to join ISIS, that he would pose as a nurse if the cop posed as a refugee aid worker so that they could cross worldwide borders without drawing suspicion from the authorities, the feds said.
William F. Sweeney Jr., head of the FBI's NY office, said the arrest demonstrated "the nature of the terrorism threat and its reach into communities here at home".
"Raishani also indicated his desire to wage jihad and his belief that the Quran can be read to justify the violence, including beheadings", according to the complaint.
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Eventually, the source introduced Raishani to an undercover law enforcement officer who posed as someone who also wanted to fight for the Islamic State group, authorities said.
Raishani also went with the undercover cop to buy the clothing he meant to wear for his training with ISIS, the feds said.
Raishani was arrested before he could get on a flight to Lisbon with a connection to Istanbul.
Saddam Mohamed Raishani, 30, attempted to travel overseas to join ISIS in Syria, according to a criminal complaint.
Raishani allegedly has been working on his plan to join ISIS since April, and he said that he aimed to leave before the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
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