By Al-Fassel | 2025-06-13

The United States continues to disrupt "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) support networks, with the recent conviction of a man who tried to provide material support to the group demonstrating its commitment to these efforts.

A US court on June 3 convicted Aws Mohammed Naser, 37, after a federal jury found him guilty of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and being a felon in possession of a destructive device, following a five-week trial.

Naser is facing a prison sentence of up to 35 years for his crimes.

The case, initially filed in 2022, documented terrorist-supporting activities between 2011 and October 2017, Detroit-based WDIV-TV reported.

Federal authorities tracked Naser's evolution from an ISIS sympathizer to a potential domestic threat through a series of escalating actions.

His radicalization became evident through extremist content posted on his YouTube channel and his association with aspiring radical preacher Russell Dennison, who is believed to have died in 2019 while fighting for ISIS in Syria.

Naser "spent years trying to support ISIS -- first by attempting to join its ranks overseas, then by turning to explosives and extremist networks on American soil," said Justice Department National Security Division head Sue J. Bai.

US law enforcement's ability to track and intercept Naser at multiple stages showcases the robust systems in place to identify and neutralize terrorist threats, analysts said.

Pursuit and capture

Naser was denied boarding at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in November 2012 and at Chicago O'Hare Airport in January 2013, where he attempted to travel with $2,000 obtained from a gas station robbery, the Justice Department said.

After serving a three-year prison sentence for armed robbery, Naser shifted his focus to domestic support for ISIS.

He created covert social media accounts to access ISIS propaganda and began experimenting with explosives and drones, the Justice Department said.

This led to an FBI search in October 2017 that uncovered a readily assemblable destructive device, it added.

"Naser tried to travel and fight for ISIS overseas but was turned away," said US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.

"So, Naser turned his fight inward on America, gathered drones, and built a bomb in his basement."

"But our office is dedicated to finding and applying the full force of the law against any terrorist, like Naser, plotting to harm Americans."

"Through the FBI’s work with our Joint Terrorism Task Force and our commitment to safeguarding our nation, Naser will face justice for his support of ISIS," said FBI Counterterrorism Division assistant director Don M. Holstead.