17-Year-Old Virginia Teen Sentenced to 11 Years for Aiding Terrorism

Virginia teen, 17-year-old Ali Shukri Amin, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison on Aiding Terrorism charges. Image-Twitter
Virginia teen, 17-year-old Ali Shukri Amin, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison on Aiding Terrorism charges. Image-Twitter

Virginia teen, Ali Shukri Amin, age 17, received a sentence of 11 years in prison after pleading “Guilty” to “Conspiring to Provide Material Support and Resources to Terrorists” ion June 11th of this year.

According to the Justice Department, Amin: 

Amin admitted to using Twitter to provide advice and encouragement to ISIL and its supporters.  Amin, who used the Twitter handle @Amreekiwitness, provided instruction on how to use Bitcoin, a virtual currency, to mask the provision of funds to ISIL, as well as facilitation to ISIL supporters seeking to travel to Syria to fight with ISIL.  Additionally, Amin admitted that he facilitated travel for Reza Niknejad, an 18-year-old Prince William County resident who traveled to Syria to join ISIL in January 2015.

Staff at Amin’s school in Manassas, Virginia observed Amin’s actions, and the School Resource Officer followed up on the report, before relaying the information gathered to the Joint Terrorism Task Force. JTTF immediately opened the investigation that led to Amin’s arrest and prosecution.

“Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who use social media as a tool to provide support and resources to ISIL will be identified and prosecuted with no less vigilance than those who travel to take up arms with ISIL,” said U.S. Attorney Dana Boente.

Following his release, Amin will be “subject to a lifetime of supervised release and monitoring of his internet activities,” the Justice Department announced.

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