A Michigan man was convicted by a federal jury today in the Eastern District of Michigan on charges of providing, attempting to provide, and conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, in connection with his support for ISIS in Syria from 2015-2018. He was also convicted of receiving military-type training from ISIS while in Syria.
Ibraheem Izzy Musaibli, 32, of Dearborn, was convicted after a nine-day trial conducted before U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson in Detroit. The jury deliberated for approximately four hours before returning the guilty verdict.
“With this verdict, the defendant is being held accountable for traveling overseas, joining ISIS, and receiving training from the terrorist organization,” stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The National Security Division, working with our partners, is committed to identifying and holding accountable U.S. citizens who leave this country in order to join and support ISIS and other foreign terrorist organizations. I want to thank the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this investigation and prosecution.”
“Ibraheem Musaibli traveled halfway around the world and joined a vicious, brutal, and violent terrorist organization known — and proud of — its barbaric acts of terror,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Today’s verdicts highlights the dedication of this office, along with our law enforcement partners, in pursuing anyone who poses a danger to the United States—no matter where they are located.”
“This defendant willingly traveled to Syria, joined ISIS, and attended a terrorist training camp,” said Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Today’s verdict demonstrates to anyone who would seek to contribute to ISIS’s terrorist activities that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will be unwavering in its mission to protect the American people by identifying, disrupting, and bringing them to justice.”
Evidence provided during the trial established that Musaibli, originally born in Dearborn, moved to Yemen in April 2015. From Yemen, he traveled to Syria in the fall of 2015 where he attended an ISIS-run religious training camp before undergoing military training where he learned to shoot, carry and otherwise handle a machine gun. Upon graduation from the ISIS military training camp, Musaibli swore allegiance to ISIS and its leader and remained with ISIS for over two and half years. Musaibli was eventually captured by Syrian Democratic Forces in 2018 and turned over to the FBI and flown back to the United States to face terrorism-related charges.
Musaibli faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison when he is sentenced. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan, Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI Counterterrorism Division and Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI Detroit Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case.
